This is a fun little art project that we did to learn about the changing of the leaves in fall! November has become a pro at recognizing colors, and even recognizes the less 'flashy' colors like brown and gray. We have so much fun talking about the colors that we see when on walks or drives.
This is a great project to do after a chilly fall nature walk. Bundle up, head outside, and check out what is happening to the trees! Check out the leaves on the ground and the colors you see.
When we did this on our homeschool preschool day, we explained that the leaves fall off the trees during the fall until they are totally naked. We watched the Yo Gabba Gabba fall song a few times, talked about all the different colors of leaves, and then started our art project.
This project works best on the biggest paper you can find, so their handprint-leaves have plenty of room to look awesome. If you only have printer paper, consider taping four sheets together into one larger sheet!
Next, draw a basic tree with naked branches for your child, or, if your child is old enough, have him/her draw it! Next, let your child get creative and color the tree however they want.
November isn't super into coloring things in entirely quite yet, and usually asks for my help, which is ok! Just let your child decide how they want it to look! If your child is older, encourage them to think of the colors they see on the tree bark outside.
Next is the fun (and messy) part! Pick out some lovely, non-toxic paint in the colors of fall leaves. We did red, orange, yellow, and green. Help your child cover their palm and fingers with paint (we simply painted a layer of paint on their hands with a large paintbrush.) Then, let them stamp their hand onto the tree and/or falling onto the ground! They will love seeing their cute little hand prints as leaves!
This activity really stuck with November. She now loves talking about the leaves she sees swirling in the wind, falling on the ground, and the ones remaining in the trees.
How do you like to teach your family about fall?
Originally posted at Tess and Tigerlily
Tessonja Odette