Although the weather is still warm in many parts of the country, we are officially in the Fall season. The vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows in our neighborhoods and local parks can inspire us to bring these colors into our early learning program activities. In this article, we share a few simple, process art activities that feature fall colors and seasonal natural materials.
Process art is, as its name implies, a creative process. Process art projects are open-ended, meaning that there is no goal or outcome, just the experience of creative expression. Young children are drawn to process art because it taps into their innate sense of curiosity, inspiring them to explore different colors, textures and materials as they express their creativity and develop their problem-solving skills.
To set up this simple activity, you’ll need just a few items: faux fall leaves, tempera paint in fall shades of red, orange, and yellow, clothespins, and white construction paper. First, clip a clothespin onto each leaf, to create unique autumn paintbrushes! Then invite the children to dip their paint brushes into the paint and apply it to the construction paper to create a brightly colored painting.
This activity invites little ones to get creative with the leaves that have dropped from the trees! Start by going outside and collecting a variety of fallen leaves. Next, set up the activity with the following items: tempera paints (in red, orange, and yellow), paintbrushes, googly eyes, and glue. Place all of the items on a table and invite children to paint their leaves, offering the option to add googly eyes to their leaves with glue. This activity is also a great time to engage children in conversation about the colors and natural changes they are noticing during the transition from summer to fall.
This process art project begins with a nature walk outdoors to collect colorful leaves, twigs, and flower petals. To prepare for this activity, find an old cardboard box and cut it into small rectangles to make mini canvases for the children to use.
You can introduce this activity by offering the children the cardboard canvases, their nature findings, and plenty of sticky double sided tape. (This can also be done with glue, instead of tape, although the tape has the benefit of adding sensory and fine motor elements to the activity!) Invite the children to place the tape onto the cardboard and then stick their nature items onto the tape to create a natural fall collage.
