The arts & crafts corner during autumn months

The arts & crafts corner during autumn months

Modifying the contents of your various corners according to the themes explored can be interesting, but you can also change the materials offered and the subjects presented according to the seasons. Here are a few suggestions for your arts & crafts corner during autumn.

Colors and nature
Autumn is the perfect season to discover and explore colors and nature with children. Using your arts & crafts corner is perfect since it boasts many interesting items and tools that can be used to do so.

Paint:
Paint is messy and requires supervision, but children love it! Choose a day when you are feeling energetic and let children explore poster paint or watercolor paints. The smile on their faces will make forgetting about the cleanup this activity requires easy. Here are a few tricks that will make painting with children extra special.

• Set a blanket or tablecloth on the floor to protect it from spills and drops.
  
• Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to your paint.
  
• Arm yourself with patience and wonder.
  
• Offer small containers with several different colors of paint and have fun experimenting with color combinations. Let older children mix the colors themselves.
  
• Display autumn leaves on a wall and encourage children to reproduce the colors.
  
• Set an easel near a window to encourage children to paint autumn scenes.
  
• Use autumn leaves (oak, maple, etc.) as stencils. Simply use adhesive putty to glue the leaves on cardboard and let children paint over them. Once the paint is dry, gently remove the leaves to discover the designs.
  
• Use tree branches instead of traditional paintbrushes.
  
• Draw a tree on a sheet of paper and invite children to dip their fingertips in paint and then make impressions around the branches to represent leaves. This is a great group project, but this activity can also be done individually.
  
• Children can paint directly on leaves, rocks, pinecones, etc.
  
• Crumble dry leaves in paint to add texture. The leaf pieces will add depth to children's paintings upon drying.
  
• Collect several items found in nature and use them to make prints.
  
• Consider adding a touch of color to your patio door using paint or window markers. If you choose to use poster paint, simply use a scraper along with soap and water when it's time to remove the paint.

Collage:

There are many collage possibilities. Imagine giant colourful murals, but also collages done on pieces of cardboard, adhesive paper, or even recycled containers (milk cartons, paper towel rolls, etc.).

• Use heavy paper or cardboard, tissue paper, sheets of paper, cellophane paper, and autumn-themed wrapping paper or just red, orange, and yellow wrapping paper.
  
• Have children collect items found in nature when you go for a walk with your group. They can use them to make a three-dimensional collage on a milk carton or a magic wand on a cardboard tube.
  
• Children love cutting with scissors...even very young children that are just beginning to manipulate scissors! However, using scissors isn't the only way to cut tiny pieces. Children can also tear paper or use hole-punches to create fun shapes.
  
• White glue, glue sticks, liquid glue, clear adhesive tape, colourful adhesive tape, Mod Podge, and adhesive putty can all be used to make collages.
• If you have a large patio door or window in your daycare, use adhesive putty to create temporary collages. Leave the collages on the door or window for a few days. They can easily be removed when you are ready.
• For an original project, make a collage by sticking items on a pumpkin. What a great way to decorate your daycare for Halloween!

There are so many colourful activities you can do with children throughout the season. I hope these ideas have made you want to think outside of the box to explore different autumn crafts with your group.

Caroline Allard

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