The school-age 3 program at RisingOaks Early Learning | St. Luke has been invested in engaging in Autumn based activities. From leaves, to pumpkins, and discussions on Halloween, fall spirit is in the air. The first activity we did was leaf making. We started with coffee filters then used water colours to dye the filters in fall hues. Providing red, yellow, orange, and green coloured water in small tie dye bottles, the children were able to colour the coffee filters to reflect the various colours of fall leaves. We let the coffee filters dry overnight, then the next day we traced leaf outlines on the coffee filters and cut them out. We glued the leaves onto a string dangling in a row and hung it up on our display board in order to resemble the effect of falling leaves. Of course, this activity came with some creative freedom as we saw Korah choosing to make snowflakes out of the coffee filters, a little out of season but beautiful just the same.
Next, we explored gourds and pumpkins in multiple ways. One of our favourite activities to do this time of year involves the gourds as we engage in a series of activities to study them. We started by painting with the gourds, using the gourds like marbles to roll around and create unique patterns and designs. This invites us to study the various textured skins of the gourds since some are smooth, others are bumpy, and at times even rough. By rolling the gourds in paint we can create an imprint of the design on paper- it also invites us to explore creativity and strengthen our gross motor skills as we rock the sensory bin from side to side trying to cover our entire paper in paint. Brielle, Korah, Eve, Ella R, and Sophia Rose all purposefully chose Halloween colours to paint with in honour of the upcoming holiday.
Another way we explored gourds is by creating volcanoes out of them! We cut the gourds in half, added baking soda and a few drops of food colour, then invited the children to use the tie dye bottles once more to drip vinegar in and watch it erupt! This activity invited us to take a closer look at the inside of the gourds, engage our sense of smell, touch, and sight, and explore the seeds and innards that make up a gourd or pumpkin. At first there was a lot of confusion as to what we were doing with the gourds. “What are we doing?” Maria asked. “Why are we using melons?” “They aren’t melons, they’re gourds,” Educator Vanessa replied. “Are we making volcanoes?” Brielle asked- these words caused excitement among the children as they were all eager to participate. “What makes it explode?” Ezra asked, so we discussed the scientific process and reaction that baking soda and vinegar causes. The eruptions also caused some of the seeds to dislodge from the innards and float around the sensory bin. This activity was a great way to explore the scientific concept of chemical reactions and engage in STEAM play.
Finally, we wrapped up our gourd exploration by smashing them with hammers! Donning safety goggles, the children gathered around a tarp outside and were invited to smash up the gourds. We learned that two hands allowed us to use more upper body strength and create a larger demolition, breaking the gourds into smaller pieces. The use of real hammers was a way for the children to engage in risky play, while also staying safe by covering our eyes with the goggles. Of course, this activity was constantly supervised by an educator at all times to ensure everyone was respecting the safety rules.
As the rest of the month continues we hope to engage in Halloween activities by making more creative items, indulging in a Halloween treat, relaxing at a themed party, and even carving a pumpkin to end the month. Hopefully we can recreate some of these moments with the pumpkin and reminisce on the fun we had with all things Autumn.
