"Just after the death of flowers,
And before they are buried in snow,
There comes a festival season,
When Nature is all aglow"
--- poet of unknown identity
The leaves are just beginning to change here in Southeastern Michigan. Soon the birds will begin to migrate too. These are two of the subjects we will focus on this fall in our nature study.
Following are the resources and ideas I have gathered. We may not get to all of these, but with a plan prepared, we have a greater chance of at least getting to some of them!
Books
- The Kids Nature Book - 365 Indoor/Outdoor Activities & Experiences (hereafter referred to as KNB)
- Fun With Nature Take Along Guide (hereafter referred to as FWN)
- Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
- Leaf Man - a delightful story with super-creative leaf collages of all kinds of animals and scenes. Wonderful inspiration!
- Autumn Leaves
- Why Do Leaves Change Color?
- When Autumn Comes
- Autumn Days: Let's Look at the Seasons
- Look What I Did With a Leaf! - collage leaf art similar to Leaf Man but not a storybook, instead gives wonderful tips to help youngsters develop their artistic eye.
- How Do Birds Find Their Way?
- On the Wing: American Birds in Migration
- Atlas of Bird Migration: Tracing the Great Journeys of the World's Birds
- Rebel - story about two Canadian geese who return to a pond to nest and one gosling's often dangerous attempts at independence.
Learning Activities
- Find out what kind of trees grow in our part of Michigan. What do their leaves/bark/seeds look like? What color do their leaves change to? When? Which ones change first? Collect specimens of leaves before and after their color change. Press and tape onto blank pages of a notebook, writing names of each.
- Learn the parts of a leaf with these three-part-cards
- Visit some local parks to observe, photograph, and perhaps draw some fall foliage. Perhaps plan a fall foliage driving tour with the help of this website.
Art and Crafts
- Leaf prints (KNB p100) - brush a little paint on the underside of a leaf, carefully place the "inked" leaf on paper, cover leaf with folded paper toweling, and roll with a rolling pin. Use to make note cards, wrapping paper, or even to adorn trays or gardening pots.
- Pressed leaves (KNB p100) - press between coffee filters in a heavy book. Specimens take a few weeks to completely dry.
- Fall placemats - use pressed leaves between contact paper to create seasonal decor for the table
- Leaf stencils (KNB p101) - use double-sided tape to attach pressed leaves to paper. Paint around the outlines of the leaves with a small sponge, or use the spatter technique (outside perhaps?) with an old toothbrush. Remove leaves after paint dries.
- Leaf rubbings (KNB p101) - Use fleshy fresh leaves placed wrong side up. Cover with lightweight paper and rub with flat side of crayon, matching leaf colors if desired by choosing crayons that are close in hue.
- Maple leaf crown (KNB p104) - Make a long chain of leaves by piercing the stem of one leaf into another, pulling the stems through as far as they will go. The next leaf you add to the chain will hide the stem. Continue until you have enough to encircle your head.
- Leaf mobile (FWN p258) - Cover 5 assorted leaves on both sides with clear contact paper, trim. Poke a small hole near an edge of each leaf with a toothpick, pull a piece of thread through holes, and tie to a sturdy 12" long fallen branch. Hang mobile from ceiling with piece of yarn.
- Leaf Collages - a la Leaf Man, using color copies of leaves
- Wax Paper Pressed Leaves - place leaves (shavings from crayons are a nice optional touch) between two sheets of wax paper. Iron together, trim, and create a frame from coordinating construction paper. Especially beautiful hung on windows to let the light shine through!
- String of Leaves Decoration
Other Activities
- Pinecone birdtreat (FWN p259) - smear peanut butter into an opened pinecone, sprinkle with birdseed and breadcrumbs. Take a 1' long piece of wire, bend hooks at each end, and hook one end around top of pinecone, twisting tightly. Hang from a branch outside.
- Grow a tree - (FWN p274) - Keep a closed pinecone in a warm, dry place until it opens. Shake out seeds and plant a dark-colored seed (light ones will not grow). Put in a sunny place and water every few days, keeping soil moist, not soggy. Be patient - trees grow very slowly!
- Make a birdfeeder (KNB p98) - Make out of a coffee can hung horizontally with half a plastic cover on both ends.
- Make a suet bell (KNB p99) - Melt 1/2 pound fat (suet, lard, or bacon drippings) and mix in 1 lb filler (seeds, bits of dried fruit, cake, cookie, or bread crumbs). Let cool slightly then pour int yogurt container that has a piece of string stuck through a small hole in the bottom. Make sure enough is hanging outside the carton so that you can hang the bell when it is done. When the fat has hardened, pull off the yogurt container and hang from a branch outside. What kinds of birds come to nibble on it?
- Watch and listen for migrating geese
- Pick dried grasses and seedheads - make dried arrangements or use for other craft projects
- Collect cones (KNB p105) - use to make cone wreaths, note how they open up in your warm house, and will close back up if taken back outside!
- Roast pumpkin/squash seeds
- Catch milkweed seeds (KNB p108) - the dried pod halves make great little canoes for sailing on a puddle or slow-moving stream!
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