Autumn - Lots of Autumn Leaf Activities

The leaves are changing colors and it's time for my preschoolers to make some colorful leaves.  There are so many fun crafts to do for this season.  Here are a couple we did last week.

PAPER TOWEL FOOD COLORING EYE DROPPER LEAVES:

You'll need paper towels, plastic eye droppers, water and food coloring.

I cut paper towels into leaf shapes.  Then I put them down for the kids on stack of newspaper (want a thick stack so the food coloring doesn't go through to the table).   I put red, yellow, and orange (mixed one drop of red with a few drops of yellow) food coloring in small bowls with some water.

Then I let the kids have fun taking color from the bowls and dropping it onto the paper towel leaves.
The kids learned fast how much they wanted to squeeze out.  They loved watching the color spread after it hit the paper towel.

By adding each color wonderful autumn leaves were made.

In order to keep track of which child created which leaves, I put them to dry on a light colored piece of construction paper that had their name on it.  I forgot to take a picture, but after the towels - oops, I mean leaves - dried, they left a neat pattern on the paper.  Many of the children wanted to take that paper home as well.

Another craft we did was LEAF RUBBINGS:

You just need to cut out leaf patterns from cardboard.

It is important to tape down the cardboard leaves to the table (or newspaper you might have covering the table ) so they don't move.  Then place a piece of white printer paper over the cardboard leaves. Give the children fall colored crayons with the wrappers off so they can roll and rub them across the paper.  They are amazed when they start to see the leaves appear.  It is probably a good idea to hold the paper still for the children so they can rub and rub with out the paper flying off the table :).

Here is a finished leaf rubbing picture -

Another fun fall leaf craft is TISSUE PAPER LEAVES:

I cut many small pieces of tissue in fall colors (red, orange, yellow, and brown).  The kids could also practice their cutting skills by cutting the tissue themselves. 

  I drew a large leaf shape on thick white paper and let the kids glue down the tissue on the paper.

They really took their time and enjoyed putting different colors all over their leaf.  They used glue mixed with a little water to brush over the tissue, making it stick to the paper.

Almost done, after they dry, then I cut them out.  It is good to leave the area around the leaf while the children are pasting the tissue so they can really cover and not worry about staying in the lines.

Once dry I cut out on the leaf outline to create the beautiful fall colored leaves you see in the picture below.

 

                                 

Father's Day

Well I'm finally getting around to posting for Father's Day.  But maybe it will inspire you for next year or if you have a child who would like to make a gift for their father's birthday?

First I took a man's shoe and painted the bottom. I put it onto regular white contsruction paper.  Then after it dried, I painted the child's foot blue and they stepped onto the man's shoe outline.

 I added the words "I'm following in your footsteps" to the top and then Happy Father's Day 2014 was written on the bottom. I trimmed the paper and glued it onto a thick scrap book paper that each child picked out for their dad.  This is going to become the front of the father's day booklet, so I am leaving room on the left to staple it.

On another piece of plain white paper I did a print of their foot in blue again.  When it dried I cut it out and glued it to the back of the thick scrapbook paper. I also typed up the following poem I found online and printed, cut, and glued that onto the page as well.

My footprint is small, but getting bigger everyday
I am learning how to be big by watching you work, love and play.
Remember when your days are long and you can't walk another mile
That this little footprint makes it all worthwhile.

 The second page was a Dad survey that I also found online.  Each child answered the questions and I filled it in for them. We glued that sheet down to another heavy scrapbook paper.

 Once all done the 2 pages were stapled together to make a wonderful booklet for dad!