Fall

We did this fun activity in the fall, but due to the busy holiday season I failed to get it posted!  However, you can either keep it mind for next year or use it during another season using different "props."  We began the activity by having "an adventure" as my children call it - going off to explore is another way they refer to it.  No matter, we grabbed a couple buckets and trecked out into the fields and woods surrounding our house and our families and gathered Fall items; field corn, fall flowers, branches, leaves, nuts and I even bought a couple yams from the store!  Next, I put all our "treasures" into a box or tub and just let the kids explore it on their own.  The only rule was they couldn't take it away, it had to stay with the box.  Then a few days later I layed down our painting mat (plastic table cloth), and got out paper, paint, and brushes.  I demonstrated to the kids how each item made its own unique pattern and then they spent time painting with the items we had found.  Later, they painted the items themselves.  This is a wonderful activity to teach about patterns, shapes, soft/hard and to explore with.