Autumn Colours Leaf Wheel

Course Overview

TITLE : Autumn Colours Leaf Wheel
FOCUS AGE : Rising Five
SKILL CATEGORY : Independence and Problem-Solving
Outdoor and Nature : Exploring the Seasons
SET UP TIME : Under 5 minutes

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This activity not only introduces your child to the colours of autumn but also lets them engage with nature and express their creativity. It’s a multisensory experience that can foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the changing seasons and the beauty of nature.

WHAT YOU NEED

Different coloured leaves (collected during an autumn walk)

Magnifying glasses, books about autumn leaves

MAIN ACTIVITY

Begin by discussing the season of autumn and how the leaves on trees change colours. Point to different types of autumn leaves and let your child feel the texture. You can also read a short story or show pictures of trees with colourful leaves. On your outdoors leaf-collecting adventure encourage your child to pick up leaves of various shapes, sizes, and colours. This activity can also serve as an opportunity for them to engage with nature and explore their surroundings. Lay out the leaves on a table. Provide the collected leaves and let your child arrange them by colours carefully thinking about colour shading going from dark to light. They can use the colour wheel for reference. They can overlap the leaves, create patterns, or place them randomly, let their creativity shine. As your child arranges, you can discuss the colours they see on the leaves, point out the reds, oranges, yellows, greens, browns. You can also encourage them to describe the shapes and textures of the leaves. Use this time to talk about the different colours they used and observed in the leaves. Ask questions like ‘What colours did you see in the leaves?’ and ‘Can you name some things that have similar colours in nature?’ 

DIFFERENT WAYS TO PLAY

Baby / Toddler

Create a simple autumn leaf sensory bin for your young child. As they explore the world through their senses, this activity can be a great way to introduce them to the sights, sounds, and textures of autumn season. Use a shallow container to place some autumn leaves (be sure to closely supervise as they can pose as choking hazard), soft toy animals, small pumpkins etc. Allow your child to explore the leaves and items with their hands and feet. You can gently guide their hands to touch the leaves and feel the textures.

Sit with your baby and talk to them about what they’re experiencing. Use descriptive words for the colours and textures they’re touching. Encourage your baby’s natural curiosity, and be ready to respond to their reactions. Join your baby in the sensory play. Gently move the leaves around, make rustling sounds, and create a playful atmosphere. Always supervise your baby closely during sensory play. Make sure the leaves are free from any choking hazards, and avoid small items that your baby could put in their mouth.

Pre-schooler

Play in a similar way and encourage your child to arrange the leaves in five piles of colours first. Start with a brown, a red, an orange, a yellow and a green pile for example and explore together which colours are dark and which ones are light. You can then introduce the shading and line them up using the autumn colours wheel for reference to help your child’s understanding of shading. 

EXTENDED LEARNING

Set up a colour mixing activity for your child where they can explore