In less than a week another afternoon activity with Grow Maple is set for 10/28 @ 4pm. Join us as we make a Fall Foliage Collage.
Grab your littles for a nature walk or scavenger hunt to find a bunch of different colored leaves. (Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Brown)
Here’s what you’ll need:
An array of different colored leaves (Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Brown) that you gather on walk or find your backyard.
A large piece of paper.
Markers, Paint, Water Colors, Crayons, or Colored pencils in Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Brown.
After collecting the array of different colored leaves have your child color the pigments of leaves on the paper in the order of Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Brown. Next invite the child to sort through the collection of leaves and have them match the leaves to the gradient.
Since fall children have been seeing changes in the leaves due to the seasons shifting from summer to fall. This activity is a great way to open the discussion of how and why leaves change color. When talking about why leaves change colors you can read a story, watch a video, or simply explaining the science behind it. The why behind leaves changing colors is during the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
When children explore and engage with nature, and further extending the experience through creating, they are testing possibilities and working through understanding the world around them. Much like a scientist who experiments and finds solutions, hands on experiences allows children to make their own assessments, while also teaching them that there are so many layers in the world around them. The child’s brain becomes engaged in the discovery of “how” and “why," when we let them connect with what is directly happening in the world around them.
