Autumn Leaves
A collage using coloured autumn leaves.
Collect some leaves that are colouring up for autumn, a bag or bucket is useful so the children can choose the leaves and collect them themselves. It is worth picking some for the children in case they tear them as they pick them. The adult could encourage older children to sort the leaves by colour or size. Older children could then make suggestions as to what animal could be made using the leaves. I used a parrot and roughly drew a picture of a parrot on paper/card. The children can then paste the picture and glue on the leaves to represent feathers. Some children placed the large leaves at the bottom first and worked up the parrot using smaller leaves.This activity encourages the children to take notice of the autumn colouring of the trees in their environment. The activity could be used under the Birth to Three A Strong Child - Me, myself and I. It is a simple activity that gives a pleasing result therefore fostering self confidence.
Fabric Collage of an Autumn Tree
You will need:
A large piece of card or wall paper.
Scraps of materials of various colours but mainly autumnal (often available from fabric shops for free if you ask)
Glue and glue sticks
Draw a large outline of a tree on the paper or card
Spend some time looking at the autumn colours with the children. Now ask the children which fabrics they think have the same colours in. Help the children glue the selection of fabrics onto the card until they have made their collage. If some pieces don't get glued to the tree these could be the fallen leaves. I used this activity in a large group of children.
This activity could be used under the Birth to Three - A Competent Learner - Making Connections or the Foundation Stage - Knowledge and Understanding of the World ELG for a sense of place - Stepping Stone: Show an interest in the world in which they live.