By Kari Svenneby
What else than fall leaves better symbolize nature play?
A pile of colorful leaves on the ground in the autumn is the stuff dreams are made of. There is so much you can do with leaves, both as materials for arts and crafts, but also as an activity for kids. A big pile of leaves is like a magnet for kid.
Some fun things to do with leaves
When you rake your garden include your children in your work. Put the leaves in big piles (make sure it is free of sticks) and the kids will know what to do, right? 1-2-3 Jump! I let the leaves stay in my backyard for natural play the whole season. After fall is almost over and we get the first snows, I put it up for composting or topdressing in my garden. Before we had a backyard we brought a rake out to the neighborhood park and raked up some piles before the city cleaned them up
Kids all over the world never seems to get enough of throwing leaves in the air and trying to catch them again. Such a simple joy.
A blanket can be used for more than just sitting on a picnic trip in the fall; get together in a circle and hold the blanket together. Fill the blanket with leaves and toss them into the air. I promise your kids will go wild.
On your nature walk collect the most beautiful leaves you can find. When you are coming home, press them for artwork. You can use them to make many different art projects. Our favorite is to make a framed collage of leaves. It is a perfect Christmas gift for grandma and grandpa. (Especially if they have moved to warmer climates and don’t see the fall colors anymore.
Collage of leaves
Sheet of paper
Glue
Frame
Brush
Frame
Layer leaves between sheets of paper and stack them between heavy books (phone books will do). After a week or so they should be ready to use in your artwork. Have a sheet of paper, glue and leaves. Let your child glue and use their imagination. Buying an inexpensive frame will really finish it off and make it look like a piece of art. {jcomments on}
