Autumn is the most wonderful time to get creative with your children. Take a walk together and look for natural goodies in nearby parks that add easy pizazz to craft projects. Leaves can be transformed into colorful crayon rubbings at any age, or made into a leafy family with googly eyes, permanent marker and cardboard. Encourage early literacy by adding names too. Masking tape stuck on leaves can be designed into a crown, or makes a pretty home garland. Only the simplest ingredients are necessary for some of the loveliest creations and dazzling learning experiences.
For older children, doodling Zentangle patterns on leaves with metallic Sharpie or Posca pens is hypnotic, or have a go at creating autumn leaf suncatchers with contact or transparent paper. Use paper plates or recycle giant plastic bottles into something magnificent.
“Strewing” items about in strategic places for kids to find, inspires them to dive in without direct instruction, and frees you up too. Pine cones with pom-poms, wooden beads, and wool is imaginative tinkering made easy. Try leaves, stickers, hole punches and string, and watch what happens.
I hold regular creative workshops for children in Osaka, and am constantly amazed at how art materials are interpreted, and what children create. Autumn crafting magic awaits you all. Have fun!
Excellent online craft ideas:
Leaf luminaries (kidscraftroom.com/diy-leaf-luminaries)
Zentangle leaves (artfulparent.com/2015/10/zentangle-leaves-for-fun-and-beauty.html)
Mirror leaf drawings (theimaginationtree.com/2015/10/mirror-leaf-drawings-nature-art.html)
Salt dough ornaments (theimaginationtree.com/2013/10/coloured-salt-dough-leaf-impressions.html)
