Autumnal Spices Watercolours

The natural colours at this time of year are so vibrant that we decided to try and create some of these colours by making our own watercolour paint using everyday spices. We went out through the woods and collected some autumn leaves, looking at all the different colours we could identify in the leaves.

Having chosen colours we then set about making paints. The children shook the spices into the palette, taking time to smell the spice and comment on this. We used cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper and mixed spice amongst others. The children then added water to the spices using pipettes and we mixed the resulting paste together.

We grabbed out paint brushes and the children set to work using the different colours to create works of art. The smell was amazing as all the spices got moved around. We left our art work to dry and added it to our autumn display.

This activity covered so many areas of learning and was great fun together with making the house smell heavenly!

Social Development: The children took turns sharing the pipettes and the spices
Physical Development: The use of pipettes and mixing tools develops fine motor skills
Communication: The children followed instructions to make the paint
Literacy: Through using the paintbrushes the children developed early writing skills
Understanding the World: We talked about Autumn and the reason for leaves changing colour
Being Imaginative: The children designed their own artwork, expressing themselves through paint

Hammered Flower Art

With so many beautiful colours in our nature garden at the moment I was determined to incorporate the vibrancy in some of the children's art work. We started by looking at the flowers we could see, discussing the sizes and colours and put a collection of some of the flowers together.

With it being a sunny day we decided some outdoor art work would be good and we then went to one of our tree stumps with some paper. Each child took it in turns to arrange some flowers on the tree stump. They took great care in their arrangements, talking about what colours they wanted where.

Younger children then used a wooden mallet and the older children used the hammer. Practising their skills at using tools they hammered away at the paper that we had placed over the top of their flower arrangements. This led to some beautiful colours being transferred to the paper.

Our only slight disaster was that one child had loved the colours of the berries so we agreed to place one in the picture. This did, possibly predictably, make the paper go rather soggy!

Fun with Autumn Leaves

Autumn creates so many learning opportunities and we love being out and about at this time of year. The leaves falling off the trees provide opportunity to talk about changing seasons whilst the leaves themselves provide opportunity to talk about colour. 

The children enjoyed several mornings at both Saltram and the wildlife area at Devonport Park playing in the leaves, on the play equipment and looking for the various insects that live in such habitats. 

After collecting a variety of leaves (the children love the responsibility of carrying their own bag too collect leaves) we took some home to create some Autumn art through a range of sticking and glitter shaking.  

Spring at last

We have really enjoyed the sudden change in the weather this week and made the most of more outdoor play opportunities.

Each evening the children have made the most of being out in the garden. They have played together inventing stories about what they are doing, particularly those involving making potions!

They have used their developing skills to measure, touch, dig and pour.

We finished the week with a trip to Wembury beach where the children had a great time playing with the stones, the stream and the dogs!