SEPTEMBER: WEEK 3-DAY 1

“Autumn came, with wind and gold” -Henry David Thoreau

BOOK OF THE DAY AND STEAM ACTIVITY

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

We are beginning our week of seasons with the transition of summer into fall, the perfect opportunity to help your little learner understand the changes that happen from one time of year to the next. If you haven’t read any of the season books by Kenard Pak, they are written and illustrated poetically. Each page turn brings you closer to the next season. Enjoyable for both child and adult.

Season Globes

We made season globes for our STEAM activity. What I love about these visual tools is that they can be disassembled once you’re done using them and remade whenever or however you’d like. I put together some of the pieces ahead of time so it would be easy for my son to help me assemble each globe.

Supplies Needed

• 4 wide mouth quart mason jars
• 5 minute set epoxy
• hot glue gun
• pipe cleaners in brown and white
• white pom poms
• blue pom poms
• 1 large yellow pom pom
• glitter in blue, white and autumn tones
• blue food coloring
• water

*optional*

• clear glue
• cosmetic mica powder

Summer Globe:

Hot glue several white pom poms together to create a cloud and toss in the jar. Add the large yellow pom pom. Add a pinch of mica powder for a subtle sunshine sparkle. Add water and then 1 drop of blue food coloring. It helps it look more like sunny, blue skies.

Autumn Globe:

Twist together 3 brown pipe cleaners into a tree shape. Secure to mason jar lid with epoxy and let set overnight. I’ve never been successful using hot glue to attach objects to the lid. Throw in some autumn colored glitter. Add water and you’re all set!

Winter Globe:

Again, twist together 3 white pipe cleaners into a tree shape and secure to lid using epoxy. Add some white glitter and water. You could also use fake snow globe snow if you’re making these around Christmas Time.

Spring Globe:

Glue several blue pom poms together to make a storm cloud. Add some blue glitter and water. Squirt in 2-3 drops of blue food coloring and you’re rainstorm is complete.

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SING-A-LONG

Seasons Song by Have Fun Teaching

HANDS ON LEARNING AND WORKSHEET

Season Trees and Pumpkins Please

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Another visual tool we used today was a quick little craft I put together earlier, but it would be a fun project for children who are a little older or more skilled with drawing and cutting. It’s a tree of the season rotating wheel made from just two paper plates and a single brass split pin.

Lane was very intrigued by the rotating part and that made it easier to describe to him how trees look different at different times of the year.

For a little more fall theme, as the first day of fall is tomorrow, I presented to him a simple numbered puzzle with a pumpkin image. I printed two copies of the same image and laminated them. On one, I made cuts at the vertical lines and then attached velcro stickers to each piece and the master copy. Lane used the numbers at the bottom of each piece to match up the picture correctly. We counted pieces and reviewed our number shapes as we went.

Then, because he seems to enjoy coloring everyday, I printed an A is for Autumn coloring page that makes for a super cute picture to quickly throw in a frame. Bam! Fall decor. Also, Lane is really starting to recognize his letters and I guess that means I’m doing something right here! _{*indefinable excited noises*}

Click here for numbered pumpkin puzzle

Click here for A Is For Autumn coloring page

CRAFT CORNER

Since our STEAM project was a little more grand today we kept our craft simple. You’ve probably seen this idea all over Pinterest, which is exactly where I found it. Q-tip tree painting! I love projects where we can use creative mediums from all around the house.

Supplies Needed

• q-tips
• 4 rubber bands or hair ties
• marker
• paint
• paper plates
• paper

I don’t think I even need to explain how to set this one up, but for the sake of adding some final words to this post… Start with a blank piece of paper and draw four tree trunks and some branches with marker. Use your rubber band to secure a bundle of q-tips and repeat three more times. Squirt some paint onto a couple paper plates, we always have these on hand for this reason. Dab your q-tip bundle into the paint and stamp away at your trees.

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