Fall’s cooler temperatures have been delayed a bit here in the Upper Midwest. I, for one, couldn’t be happier, but I know many people are anxious for crisper days and the sight of trees exploding with vibrant yellows, oranges and reds (that is until they have to carve time out of their busy schedules to rake those gorgeous leaves off their driveway).
Regardless of when fall finally rears its head in your neck of the woods there is nothing like soaking up the season with family members and friends. Use the time to go on a nature hike and make it fun for kids by having them collect leaves. Store the colorful treasures in an ordinary box decorated with buttons, markers, crayons, sequins, glitter or yarn. Have your children gather leaves of all sizes, shapes and color. When you get home take a closer look at them. Write down what you see or write a story about how the leaves fell to the ground. You can also group them in piles according to color, shape and size.
Collect enough leaves so you have enough for craft projects. For example, each year my daughter’s playgroup goes on a hike through our local arboretum and we collect enough leaves to make Fall Placemats. Simply get a large paper bag and glue your gathered leaves in any design on the paper bag. Then, cover the paper bag decorated with the leaves with contact paper (on both sides) and presto—-instant placemat with an autumnal theme.
Another way to put fall leaves to good use is to make Leaf People. Here’s how:
Colorful Fall Leaves
Have children glue a leaf on a piece of paper, and draw legs, arms, and a head to create a person.