Art
Working creatively on a large scale Experiment with colour and mediums Make comparisons and discuss their creations
Colour in this acorn with your little one – will it be green, brown or brightly coloured? Help your mini Nature Detective bring out their inner artist. Go hunting for acorns and get inspired Try making an collage using leaves, twigs and acorn caps Can you fingerpaint your acorn? Maybe you could help your little one make a giant oak tree and hang your acorn from it?
To develop curiosity in the local environment and respect for it – To work together as a group – To investigate different shapes in our natural environment – To stimulate creativity
To develop curiosity in the local environment and respect for it – To work together as a group – To promote responsibility among the senior pupils – To investigate different shapes in our natural environment – To stimulate creativity
Autumn colouring chart
How many of these autumnal colours can you find? Keep your eyes peeled for all these amazing colours next time you’re out and about. You might find some colours in surprising places Look on the ground and in the tree tops what can you see? Some colours might appear more than once Did you manage to find any other colours? Which was your favourite?
Unleash your creativity with paints, pastels or colouring pencils. Get inspired by the colours of the season – vibrant reds, dazzling yellows and gorgeous oranges. Colour in the leaves, berries and seeds on this autumn-themed mandala. Then have a go at making one outside with real natural items!
Create an awesome autumn scene. Head outside and get inspired by this beautiful season, then come home and get colouring! Think about autumn’s colours use reds, oranges and yellows Use your favourite crayons, pens and pencils Add scraps of fabric or card to add interesting bits of texture Can you spot all the creatures living in the autumn woodland?
Use leaves to create snakes and flowers on the woodland floor. Choose different coloured autumn leaves to make your creations. Who can make the biggest snake or brightest flower? Leaf crafts are great fun but can you tell which trees the leaves are from? Try making a whole garden of leafy flowers Leave your artistic creations behind for others to find!
Find a big pile of leaves and kick up a storm! Tell a stormy story and act it out using crunchy autumn leaves. Help your mini explorer create a super leaf storm Rustle the leaves to make the sounds of the storm Let your little one join in by helping them kick and throw the leaves Can you make stormy sounds from other woodland items?
Create a colourful autumn collage. Use your favourite colours to make a vibrant autumnal picture. Choose rich purples, reds, golds and browns for berries and leaves Try creating a collage from natural items like leaves Are there any creatures hiding among the leaves in your picture? Head outside and get inspired by the forest floor take a photo of the colours and shapes and use these in your picture.
Make your own rattle using seeds and beads. All you need is a plastic bottle, acorns, conkers and beech nuts, and rhythm! This is a fantastic sensory activity for tiny Nature Detectives Shake the bottle or roll it along the floor It goes without saying, but make sure your little ones don’t put any seeds or beads in their mouths
Making music outside using everyday items
Explore the properties of different materials using your feet
Create a bark rubbing and be a bark artist. Take a few sheets of paper and your crayons to the woods or your local park, and get creative. Choose an interesting tree big, old, knobbly ones are perfect You might need a grown-up or friend to help you keep the paper still while you make your rubbing Find other trees and layer up different colours and patterns. Frame your picture with twigs
Colour in this spooky bat! Get inspired by nature and create this brilliant bat picture. Create a dark background using sweet wrappers and tissue paper. Or make a collage from old magazines Add lines of white or yellow to his wings and ears to show where they reflect the moonlight Did you know? The common pipistrelle bat can eat more than 3,000 insects in one night
Transform into a brilliant bat! Are you adventurous? Do you like exploring new places and trying lots of new things? Do you love hanging out with your friends? If so, you’re a bat! Print out and make up this marvellous mask to complete your transformation.
Creating pictures with home-made beanbags
Get creative with your mini Nature Detective. Grab your favourite colouring crayons and make a masterpiece together. Choose greens, yellows, oranges and reds or whatever colour you fancy! Colour in lots of beech leaves and make your own forest Make a leaf collage using sweet wrappers, foil and coloured paper Paint the hands of very little Nature Detectives and let them splat their prints onto the leaf.
Colouring in sheet with blackberries
Get creative with your little one and colour in this juicy blackberry. Make a finger painting with purple paint Use scraps of fabric to make a collage Squish real blackberries straight on the paper. (Wear an apron to protect your clothes – the juice stains clothes and hands!) Go blackberry-picking in late summer. How many fat, ripe berries can you spot together? Watch out for the spiky thorns – they’re sharp!
Make a pretty spring picture using tissue paper. Blossom grows on many trees and hedges in spring. Can you spot any where you live? You can make your own blossom at home with this fun craft. Go on a walk and find an interesting stick. Glue it to some card. Scrunch up small pieces of white and pink tissue paper to make the blossom. Stick the tissue paper blossom alongside the twig. When you’ve finished, don’t forget to frame your picture and hang it on your wall!
Try this simple spring craft with babies and toddlers. This a great activity to do in spring when trees are covered in frothy blossom. Go for a walk and look for an interesting stick. Can you spot blossom growing on trees and hedges? Use white and pink paint to create realistic-looking blossom, or choose your child’s favourite colours! Help your little one dip their fingers into the paint and dab it onto the paper to make the blossom. This is a fantastic sensory experience! When you’ve finished, pop the picture in a frame and put it on your wall. It would also make a great gift for proud grandparents!
Use blue, yellow and green to colour in this garden bird. Try finger painting Stick on colourful feathers Draw a feeder bursting with nuts and seeds Keep your eyes peeled for blue tits and other birds visiting your garden!
Have a go at building a birds nest will it be strong and safe enough to hold pebble eggs? Birds nests need to be strong and sturdy enough to withstand wind, while still being cosy. Could you make a nest that’s up to the test? Experiment with different natural materials what works best? Is your nest stronger with mud, or is it better without it? Have a go at building your nest with one hand birds only have their beaks, after all!