Trees in the Fall

We spent a lot of October studying trees in the fall, which included exploring acorns, squirrels, sticks, trunks, branches, and the changing leaves.

Fall Colors on the Light Table

 

The Lines in Leaves

This was an invitation to look more closely at the lines in the leaves. Children could make leaf rubbings, make prints in clay, or rub the leaves under tinfoil to see the lines. 

Tree Slices

We used different sized tree slices for loose parts play, as well as these geoboards made out of larger slices for fine motor work and shape/line exploration.

Acorns and Squirrels

We played a lot of acorn "hide and seek," and gathered up a lot of nuts for the squirrel's winter stash in the sensory bin and with a grid counting game.

Fall Leaf Art

The colors of fall are perfect for beautiful art projects, and we tried a few different processes... We worked together to decorate this giant cardboard tree.

We painted with marbles to make these leaves.

And we painted with tinfoil to make our own fall trees.

Leaf Experiment

We talked about why leaves change colors in the fall, and how chlorophyl (the green pigment) covers up the true colors of the leaf. Then we did an experiment to extract the hidden colors of leaves. 

Dancing with Leaf Sticks

Using play leaves and leaf sticks is always a favorite for music time. (And it's always hard to get a good picture... :) )

There are so many ways to explore the wonder of fall! I always feel like I have more ideas than we have time for. Happy Fall!