Since fall has been unfolding all around us the children have been noticing changes in the leaves due to the seasons shifting from summer to fall. We have been reading books and talking about why leaves change colors and the science behind it.
Leaves change colors during the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
Today we invited the children to explore the different colors of leaves through creating their own fall foliage tree. We placed forage branches on our tuff tray and then taped down cotton pads as leaves. We provided Colorations Liquid Watercolors as the leaves and invited the children to dropper paint them with a pipette. Using the pipette to draw the liquid watercolors will not only enhance their fine motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination, it will let them explore color theory through mixing colors. When stating and observing what colors they are using this naturally boosts their recognition and the names of the colors.
When children explore & engage in open ended art combined with nature, their experience is further testing possibilities, creating, and working through understanding the world around them. Much like a scientist who experiments and finds solutions, hands-on experiences allow children to make their own assessments, while also teaching them that there are so many layers in the world around them. The child’s brain becomes engaged in the discovery of “how” and “why," when we let them connect with what is directly happening in the world around them.
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