Changing seasons present an opportunity to engage our children in the wonders of nature. l'm very excited about living in a North American region that distinctly has four seasons. Northern Virginia commutes to and from work are brutal, which only adds stress to daily life. However, when I walk through the door and Little's eyes meet mine, I am rejuvenated. No matter how my day has been at that point I am all sunshine and excited about spending the next couple of hours with her before bedtime. I decided upon a "Fall Leaves" thematic unit to circumvent the ever present dilemma of limited time and what better way to begin than with a nature walk. As you know, there's nothing like taking the time to commune with nature to unwind. So, I took Little outside for a nature walk and brought her attention to the fallen leaves and the various colors of the leaves in our neighborhood
While collecting leaves, I was inspired to write a little song with movements. She was so cute as she filled her basket, twirled, giggled and dropped to the ground each time I sang the song. "Leaves are green, but they turn orange, yellow and brown. Then fall to the ground!"
We preserved the leaves by soaking them in a solution that consisted of a 1/4 cup of vegetable glycerin and enough water to cover them.
We preserved the leaves by soaking them in a solution that consisted of a 1/4 cup of vegetable glycerin and enough water to cover them.
After a few days, we laid them out to dry on wax paper.
Once they were dry we used them for a few projects. I placed some in her fall sensory bin along with rice we'd dyed orange and green. I added a scoop, some pompoms, pine cones, a jar, a pair of tongs and allowed her to explore for as long as she liked She thoroughly enjoyed this bin more than any others I've made for her. She maintained engagement for over 20 minutes.
Our learning trips included visits to a couple of pumpkin patches, the zoo, and the apple orchard.
Activities: included contact paper art, sorting, reviewing letter sounds, painting, exploration of geometric shapes, and counting "apple seeds".
Contact paper art.
Sorting: Math Readiness Skill | Once the leaves were sorted she glued them to her little tree. |
Little enjoyed counting out the number of "seeds" I'd written on the apple leaves and gluing them to the apple. We used black beans for seeds.
Celebration: Little loved the fall unit! Before this unit, she couldn't fully articulate words that began with L, but by the end she was pointing out and beautifully shouting, "Leaf!"
Little working on her geometric jack-o-lantern
Thanks for stopping by to read. The month of November will be filled with more fun and learning about the sky and our home. It will be a chance to reflect on all the things Little has to be grateful for. ---Witty Little's Mom