Fall Placemats

Inspire young children's creativity by allowing them to use natural elements in their art pieces with this multi-media fall placemats activity featured in The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities For Children 3 to 6. Once the placemats are laminated, allow the children to use them at snack time or take them home for Thanksgiving. Children will enjoy seeing that their art can also be practical and functional! 

Materials

• autumn leaves in several colors and shapes
• construction paper
• glue
• crayons or markers
• laminate

What to Do

1. Go outside with the children and collect autumn leaves. Talk about why leaves change colors in the fall. Identify some of the leaves the children collect.
2. Encourage the children to arrange their leaves on a piece of construction paper and glue in place.
3. Invite the children to decorate their papers with crayons or markers.
4. Help each child put her leafcovere paper into a laminator.
5. Supervise closely, or do this step by yourself.
6. Let children use their placemats at snack time.
7. More to do More Art: Invite the children to trace leftover leaves on construction paper and cut them out.