The school age 3 children participated in a fun and creative fall wreath-making activity. While outside we explored the nature around us and collect materials related to fall, such as colourful leaves, pine cones, and other loose parts. The children carefully searched for natural materials and chose the leaves they felt were perfect for their wreaths. They placed their collections into a white bucket and brought the bucket back to the classroom.
Once inside, the children began decorating their circular cardboard wreathes by attaching the natural materials with glue. During the activity, they noticed that the glue worked well for the leaves but did not hold the pine cones in place. The children began wondering why some materials stuck while others did not. Instead of giving up, they thought of another solution and decided to use tape to attach the pine cones. The children also noticed the lovely smell of the pine cones and shared their observations with others.
This experience encouraged the children to develop their creativity, problem-solving, observation, and teamwork skills. They explored different materials, tested their ideas, and found solutions when faced with a challenge. They also used their senses to learn more about nature. We look forward to exploring with more natural materials and experimenting with different ways to connect them while creating more nature-inspired art as we go off of the children’s interests.
