Materials
Leaves, either green or changing colors, but not yet brown
Plastic bag
Scissors
White or light blue construction paper
White glue
Crayons
Instructions
1. Go for a walk to gather various types and sizes of leaves and put them in the plastic bag.
2. Cut the stems off the leaves and decide if you want to make a leaf man, a leaf woman or both.
3. On the construction paper, draw the face and hair first, then glue on a small leaf as a hat.
4. Glue a large leaf as body and draw arms and legs.
5. Glue a skirt for a woman or two legs for a man.
6. Two small leaves of the same size will look like shoes when glued to the background paper.
7. You might press Mr. and Mrs. Leaf in or under a very heavy book.More to doDramatic play: Let the children dramatize rain falling on trees in spring; leaves starting to grow; having a picnic under a shade tree in the summer; leaves falling from the tree in autumn and being raked, jumped in or bagged; and, finally, being a tree with no leaves in the winter.Games: Show the outline of a maple leaf and let all the children hold up a maple leaf. Then show the outline of an oak leaf and again ask the children to match it.Math: Combine all the unused leaves and then sort them by size or shape or color. * Count leaves.Original poem and songCrunch and crackle all aroundAs brown leaves tumble to the ground.They were really pretty all colors on the treeBut they decided to come and play with me.I rake them high into a giant pileI do think those leaves must have a smile,For they just know what I plan to do.Then I run and jump in them, wouldn't you?The Four Seasons (sing to the tune of "Frere Jacques")It is summer. It is summer.The leaves are green. The leaves are green.Their shade is so cool now.Their shade is so cool now.Birds can be seen. Birds can be seen.It is autumn. It is autumn.Leaves are orange and brown. Leaves are orange and brown.Some are red and gold, too.Some are red and gold, too.Then they float down. Then they float down.It is winter. It is winter.The trees are bare. The trees are bare.The trees are resting now.The trees are resting now.No leaves anywhere. No leaves anywhere.It is springtime. It is springtime.New leaves appear. New leaves appear.They will start to grow.They will start to grow.Summer is near. Summer is near.