It’s officially fall, meaning lots of different loose parts for us to explore and learn with! The preschoolers have demonstrated a great interest in hunting for and closely examining the fallen leaves, acorns, pinecones and simply taking in the changes occurring within our direct environment. To build on this interest, we’ve been exploring various different activities.
To begin, we used pine needles to make paint brushes! We used our fine motor skills to carefully hold the small branches to spread the paint across our papers to make a fall painting.
We also took taking a stroll to the nearby forest to explore the colours changing on the trees! While we walked to the forest we enjoyed the sensory experience of crunching the leaves underneath our feet . We also looked around and collected leaves and pinecones and used them as loose parts for pretend play. Our trip to the forest also allowed us to exercise our gross motor skills and engage in risky play as we climb, balance and walk across the fallen logs.
To further expand on this interest we engaged in a scale-balancing provocation. The children were invited to explore the loose parts with magnifying glasses before using them to help balance the scale. Through this experience they engaged in problem solving, team work and critical thinking while exploring weight and measurement.
We can’t wait to see all the changes and learning this season has in store for us!
