Fall was always one of my favorite seasons growing up as a child, but I could never share my excitement about fall with my children until now.
We recently moved from a warmer climate to a new state where we now get to experience fall weather. I am very excited to share the beauty of fall with my young creative thinkers.
This post is in a series of STEAM investigations we have done with leaves.
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. I believe art or creativity is essential to fostering your child’s creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
Read below to see how we combined science and art for some creative fun with leaves.
First we played with the leaves and created a collection of the different types of leaves we found. Next, we observed what we noticed about the leaves.
Science Connection:
Lil B inquired about the lines he observed in the leave. I asked him what he thought they were and then we discussed the function of the veins and how it is an important element for a healthy leaf to get food and water.
ART CHALLENGE: Paint a Pattern on a Leaf
We had previously painted with the leaves but this time we painted on the leaves! Painting on the leaves provides a new sensory experience as your child makes marks on the texture of the leaf.
Materials:
Paint (acrylic paint will stick better on the leaves, but I stuck with washable paint because my artists are young)
Leaves
Small Paintbrush
Cup of Water
Plastic Tray (to protect your workspace)
Tutorial:
Step 1: Protect your work surface and lay out the materials for your child.
Step 2: Let your child paint!
Ask Your Child Open-ended Questions:
What type of lines do you see on the leaf?
How does the leaf feel when you touch it?
How are the veins on a big leaf different than on a small leaf?
Be sure to check out our entire series of our STEAM investigation of leaves.
Leave a Reply