A World of Leaves at Forest Preschool

"The leaf looks bigger! "I see lines and dirt."

Mother Nature pulled out all the stops this Autumn, transforming the landscape into a brilliant wash of red, orange, and gold. It's a poignant time of year as the natural world is shifting and readying for a long, sleepy winter. With leaves raining down and crunching underfoot, Forest Preschoolers have been alive in their senses and exuberantly exploring the wild world around. Leaves on the ground this time of year are abundant and fascinating; ideal for play and learning. At Forest Preschool, we have been taking full advantage!

Preschoolers learn rapidly from what interests them. When learning is driven by interest, information is more easily retained and strong synaptic connections are made. Many Forest Preschoolers were drawn to pile, move, and build with leaves, others to examine closely, some to sort by shape and color, and count. Many children used leaves in "mud kitchen" baking recipes. Some collected and designed with them. Stitching leaves with a blunt needle was also a source of intrigue. This foray into sewing was a first for many and provided a great way to develop fine motor skills.

"I wonder what THIS might look like under a
magnifying glass?"

I love asking children open ended questions that have no wrong answers. The answers are sometimes priceless but more importantly, they engage curiosity. One morning I sat with a child while the two of us wove yarn in and out of holes punched in several leaves. As we worked the yarn through the leaves, she spontaneously declared, " I could make this anywhere. There's leaves everywhere." I wonder where the leaves are in the winter?" I asked. She took moment and then stated, "Under the snow but you can build a snowman in the snow. But you can't put in on a piece of string!"

Building a nest for an owl backpack!

Many nests for wild animal friends were built using leaves at Forest Preschool. Pretending to be an animal building a nest and then snuggling in the final product is great fun. Preschoolers are primed to learn by engaging their imagination!

Nestled in with owl backpack aptly named Mr. Owl!

"I'm going to use my paws to build the rest!"

Each day I tell an oral story. One day, part of my story told of a red squirrel building a nest with fallen leaves. When the story was over, a child was excited to build a squirrel nest of his own. In the  process of construction, play, and my asking open ended questions, he and friends learned about nest sites, construction, materials used, and the insulating property of leaves. 

Later that morning the child sat back, looked around, and exclaimed, "The world is covered in leaves!" Another shared, "There's mostly maple trees here at Deer Camp."

"Where can we put the door?" "Now, the thing is, can we make a door out of a stick?"

Another busy squirrel building a nest!

Leaves add a whole new element to "mountain climbing,"
healthy risk taking, and gross motor skill development.

Pure joy!

Now that most of the leaves have fallen and the temperatures are following suit, we look forward to what nature will offer the children's innate sense of wonder and endless curiosity in the coming weeks.