Fall Activities {Learning Through Play}

My kids love the Fall. They spend their time relocating all our pumpkins, jumping in leaves, and running wildly around the yard in the beautiful, cool air.
 

And you simply can't ignore all the fun activities Pinterest showers us with. One activity Maddie and I recently put together was the Tissue Paper Tree. I actually grabbed it from my classroom curriculumn, Unique. This month my class is discussing the different seasons and this activity breaks down the four in a visual sense.

 

 Tissue Paper Tree:

 

 

1. Start with a large sheet of construction paper.

2. Separate the paper into four areas.

3. Collect materials: colored tissue paper, tree template, and glue. I also used pictures to depict the different seasons to give Maddie an idea of the different colors and fullness of the trees. It was also a great opportunity to simply chat about the seasons, sharing the parts we liked in the pictures.

4. This activity took about 15 minutes and gave a great look into nature.

 

 

What Fall activities are enjoying?!!

 

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Kids At Play: Flower Provocation

I love being outside with my kids. The sunshine is like a natural remedy to boredom, insanity, and even cranky mommy moments. So, whenever we can, we get outside. 
Maddie brought me some wonderful flowers she had picked in the yard and I instantly had the desire to paint  a picture of them. I quickly pulled out all the supplies we'd need and placed the flowers in a mason jar. And then I sat back and watched. 
Jacob is very curious about paint and prefers to use a paintbrush which really surprises me with his age, many young kids love to finger paint. Maddie is about mixing paint. She typically starts with one color, paints, then moves to another and another until the page is actually a brownish color. At that point, she seems to finish it and she's completely satisfied with her work. 
I didn't mention to the kids about painting a picture of the flowers, but rather allowed them to explore on their own with a nice boutique to possibly inspire them. :) Overall, we all had a wonderful time mixing paint and sunshine on this glorious day!
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Learning Through Play - Playing Outside

I love taking my kids to the playgrounds, encouraging them to climb and explore everything but there's something most playgrounds simply don't offer and that's unstructured play. When a toy/game is placed in front of a child that has a particular end purpose it's hard to bring in creativity and the same goes with large movement play.
So, today we stuck to the yard and explored all the items we had around the house. Maddie found a garden shovel and went to work on digging while Jacob continued to crawl up and down the front steps, something he doesn't typically get access to inside. We also checked out all the bugs {since the cold weather hasn't seem to hit yet there are plenty of bugs still out} and Maddie even did a bit of climbing herself on the swing. Her and her brother enjoy a good challenge. 
Overall, the kids were able to explore, laugh, and learn all through their own play. There was no right or wrong way of doing anything, simply moving or not moving was the way to be.
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Pass The Funnies, It's Bathroom Time Fun

We are constantly learning, and this is even more true for babies and children. Therefore, every moment is a teachable moment. Every moment holds the power to strengthen and master skills so when my baby boy decides to enjoy a little bathroom time fun, well, I have to remind myself that through all his play, he is constantly learning. 
By tearing paper, or in this case, toilet paper, babies/children strengthen the muscles in their hands which relates directly to more independent skills such as spoon feedings, picking up items/toys, and later to writing. It may not seem like much, but each opportunity offers another chance to fine tune skills,  so, go ahead, shred a little paper today...it's gonna come in handy down the road.

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Ornaments, Ornaments All Around

Maddie and I had a wonderful time creating ornaments out of Popsicle sticks. All it took was a bag of Popsicle sticks, glue, and some imagination. We first started with a star which simply meant we stacked and glued, however, the fine motor work that is required for a 3 year old to squeeze a bottle of glue and align sticks onto of one another gave a good work out. 
Maddie seemed relaxed in the idea of creating with sticks. She made a ladder, several more stars, and then decided she needed a dinosaur. I was completely stumped on how to help her create that...I tried to distract her with an orange triangle, and while even though she was impressed with my work, she still didn't give up on the T-Rex she had in her mind. She moved the sticks all around but never really fused anything together. Once we closed the glue up she still continued to play with the sticks. They've been all over the house, even placed in the Christmas tree. Overall, this was a quick and easy project, one that definitely gave her fingers and imagination some practice. I think our next ornament will involve noodles, food coloring, and yarn!
What about You, what activities do Your kids enjoy this time of year?
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