FALL RoundUP: Pumpkins and Scarecrows and Monsters~~Oh MY!

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!! IT'S AUTUMN!!! IT'S FALL!!!

I'm so excited to share this RoundUP!

I've been saving these ideas just for today!

These are all photos of fall fun that I've captured on my Author-Illustrator school visits around the country. 

~~Yes. Please pin as many as you'd like!~~

This first idea may well be my favorite and hence earns the lead-off batter position. Sculpture for young hands. I LUV LUV LUV creating a base for your sculpture from an 'upcycled' jar's lid. Some modeling compound or plaster of paris within the base/lid and let the fun begin! The walk in the woods tree trucks are glorious varigated pipe cleaners. The tree tops are simply silk leaves and scotched taped into place. What young child doesn't adore a project where they are in charge of scotch tape? Feathers add just the right touch for detail and nuance. 

Having young children explore projects in three dimensions affords such unique discoveries while conquering any challenges. Concordia University in Oak Park/River Forest has a brand new child development building and these beauties were housed in a showcase for all to see. I spoke there last month at their annual back-to-school conference. They provided a gen-u-ine rainbow for me. KUDOS! 

Now let's continue looking at trees + leaves. Anything collaborative + creative earns extra stars in my book.  

These next drawings have enhancements for the leaves. They looked stunning massed together on a Florida bulletin board. How sweet are the trick-or-treating details? Look closely, they're oh-so-clever. The first set have tissue paper leaves and on down below the Wisconsin drawing uses torn construction paper for the embellishments. 

Little Red Wagon and Torn Construction Paper Leaves Adorn Fall Crayon Drawing

The toddler projects above use the torn construction paper for the trunk and then paint is applied for the foliage fun. It's so much fun for me (as a former Art teacher) to see the exact inverse of materials used to portray the same concept..... at different stages of development. 

In the future I have an article that includes these beauties. It's the 'same' idea as the toddler work above, but this time in the hands of more sophisticated preschoolers. LUV the addition of the little pre-cut foamie leaves amid the painting. 

Wait till you see these sophisticated kindergarten fall landscapes. They were on display during my Tampa visit a year ago. I have already shared they here before, but their beauty serves as inspiration FOR. ALL. TIME. How brilliant. A lesson on symmetry and fall colors all rolled into one. Yes. The paper is folded to achieve such incredible results. Think 'blotto' and think sophisticated simplicity!  

Symmetric "Blotto" Painting for Fall by Kindergarten Students 

Bulletin Board of Observational Fall Paintings of Leaves

Super simple. Super gorgeous on a bulletin board. Construction paper 'mosaics' for fall foliage. SWEET! 

Fall Trees on the Bulletin Board 

From open-ended media exploration on coffee filters by wee-wittle hands (lovingly cut into leaf forms by appreciative adults) to these crayon resist drawings created in kindergarten. The colors of fall offer so much to examine. 

Handprints become Leaves on Collaborative Bulletin Board for Fall 

FALL MANDALA: I played with the first dozen glorious maple leaves to grace my walk -- just the other day. My amazing rocks for punctuation. Take a walk and gather up materials to explore as patterns. Geometry. Tesselations from nature! 

SHIFT GEARS: Scarecrows. LUV me some FALL scarecrow projects! 

How adorable are these? Some children just want to 'flood' their work when given flotsom and jetsom of goodies to choose for embellishment. I am so appreciative that these teachers allowed the kiddos to have all the fun they wanted! BUTTONS! LITTLE LEAVES! Can you really have enough of either? This was a lesson in adhesion to be sure! 

INDIAN CORN PAINTING EXPLORATIONS AMID THE FASHION FORWARD SCARECROWS. 

If the leaves are changing then its time to get thee to the pumpkin patch! 

These next little jack-o-lantern 'craftivities' were created on bases of small paper plates. All the tissue papers of fall get glued next. Then adornment with simple shapes for the features make these a success for every child in the Buckeye room. Each is unique! Same basic materials, individual exploration. 

Here they are happily displayed together on the same preschool bulletin board. 

GLITTER!!! HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GLITTER? 

FALL COLORS! FANTASTIC FRIDAY FALL FUN! 

Can you ever really get enough of fall trees and their colorful leaves -- as portrayed through the eyes and experience of the littles? It was so much fun to trek back to Ohio last week -- to see the last of the persevering leaves hanging from bare branches. 

The hallways were awash with Kinder-colors! 

SCARECROWS!!! Kindergarten Scarecrows! 

Don't ya just LUV LUV LUV a 'craftivity' that involves a paper plate as a base?

These hay-for-hair, grand-smiling scarecrows were hanging from the ceiling last week in kindergarten. 

I got to spot them during my visit to Blue Heron Elementary outside Denver for my Author/Illustrator school visit! 

LUV LUV LUV this mouth! 

What fun with the details..... that's how each scarecrow gets "personalized." 

Get thee some paper plates and strips of yellow construction paper for hair. 

Of course my favorite part are the individual mouths using magic markers. 

Some are scarier scarecrows!

And an anchor chart with proper scarecrow parts getting labels. 

You know you're in kindergarten when............... 

The scarecrow gets an anchor chart. 

Let's conclude with a couple of fall bulletin boards. 

Each of these next two images are preschool bulletin boards that feature scare crows!

One final image: Scarecrow Bulletin Board!

Look at this idea from preschool. 

The children's photographs are the crow faces!!

From now until Trick-or-Treat I have my digital zip-file of "Monster Spray" 

It would be the perfect addition to your Halloween party!

File includes the song in Mp3 format with some cute little pdfs for the lyrics in pocket chart format for the chorus! 

This RoundUP is of "Trees" in the Classroom: 

HALLOWEEN!!!

The thrill and excitement of the season is upon us! 

I am hoping that in the midst of the abrupt change of seasons (for some of us) that you are safe and enjoying all of the delight of the concluding of the month. 

Do you celebrate fall harvest? 

Do you have fun with Halloween? 

What could be simpler than a brown paper bag pumpkin? 

Leave well enough alone -- or embellish with magic marker details. 

These doozies are 'hanging on the gate!' 

I can still remember the first time I held a 'little miniature pumpkin. 

They make me smile every season -- all over again!  

I had this pumpkin activity in last Friday's Fine Motor, but I think it deserves a repeat performance with the rest of the pumpkin clan. 

In the same way that I've been talking about the fun and flexibility of creating your own monster with its unique details, designing your own Jack-o-Lantern opens up the floodgates of possibilities. 

Here's the two dimensional version of the Jack-o-Lanterns on the Gate. 

This time the bulletin board is outside the kindergarten classroom. 

Bulletin Board of "Jack-o-Lanterns" Sitting on a Gate in Kindergarten 

PUMPKINS! HOW WE LOVE PUMPKINS! 

Is it the happy orange? The stem? The variation? The bread and pie? The decorating? The crisp nip in the air? How can you resist the perennial talisman of fall? I don't know that I've ever seen 'symmetry painting' with a pumpkin theme. Those paintings above are a happy experiment I saw on location in Mrs. Ayala's Texas elementary building this time last year, as I made my author-illustrator school visit. 

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater! 

That would be the perfect pumpkin house -- 

don't you think? 

Speaking of Pumpkin houses.......

 just use your imagination and soon you've got: 
Pumpkin Town! 

Take a look at these Kinder-drawings!

Take a look at these two ways to 'measure' yourself in Pumpkin Town.

That's my 'Little Red' a couple weeks back, 

when we were all together at the most amazing family pumpkin farm you can imagine. 

Here's 'non-standard' measurement in kindergarten.

Take your choice: pumpkins or apples. 

I had an article a couple of weeks ago that used non-standard apple measurement

and 'estimation' as part of the experience. 

You want to go back in time to see that article. 

You've gotta LUV jack-o-lanterns for the fun opportunities their faces afford. 

How clever is this next scarecrow bulletin board for fall?What a great way to display the happiest work taking place in the classroom.  Here's an earlier article last year with sweet scarecrows in a variety of presentations. 

PUMPKINS: Growing on a vine! 

I saw these adorable pumpkins 'growing' on their vine while on my tour earlier this month in Virginia. How precious is the crepe paper vine that connects all of the preschool artwork? This display (directly on the wall, rather than a bulletin board) is superior in every way! 

The detail of the 'vine' is right at the top of my list of terrific-ness. Other stand out specifics? I am so appreciative that these young children got to explore their orange paint on their own terms. That's the advantage of PROCESS art! 

"Pumpkins are heavy." 

"Pumpkins need water to grow." 

All this thinking about pumpkins growing on the vine, got my little brain a buzzin' and this little poem-dittie, is the result. I wish that you still had time to use it this year, but my guess is you'll need to pin it and put in your files for a 11 months from now. That's what I like: planning ahead! 

Speaking of pumpkins-on-vines. 

Here's a couple of close-ups from our Pumpkin Patch adventure. 

Yes. These are the same photos in Deanna Jump's new

"Pumpkin Patch." 

I am honored to have some photos in her project! 

FALL! LEAVES!!

I've made some new school visits!!!

(Yes. I travel the country making Author/Illustrator school visits!)  

I've got some additional Fall Art Projects and Bulletin Boards to share. 

Get your construction paper ready.

Here's what the fall tree projects look like displayed on the bulletin board.

My favorite part of the display is the obvious fact

that the children were 'allowed' to create their own work: 

• Leaves on the trees
• Leaves on the ground 
• Few Leaves
• Tons of Leaves
• Massive Leaves
• Scant Leaves
• Falling Leaves

Child created is the key to exploration!

"Ready for Fall" Bulletin Board of Autumn Trees by Young Children

Here are some brightly colored, tempra-painted leaves from preschool. 

BULLETIN BOARD ALERT!!! 

FALL BULLETIN BOARDS!

Painted Leaves Displayed on Preschool Bulletin Board --with Scarecrow Friend

Yes. If you look closely at those little apple smiles you'll see two of my very favorites! BTW: Those apples haven't fallen very far from the tree. 

Let's take a look at a few of these skeletal self-portraits up close and personal. 

I adore these insightful poses and the kinder-writing makes the projects priceless.

"My bones like to dance."  

This next pose is truly insightful and delightful! 

This portrait is caught 'mid-kick.' 

Yup. 

"My bones like to play soccer."

The teeth make this one positively ghoulish.

I'm big on big endings. 

I saved this one for last. It's an absolute favorite.

You probably have to spend a lot of time with these peeps to fully appreciate this next pose. 

I give you......... 

"My bones like to do pretzel legs." 

I see yoga in the future for this peep. 

PAINTING TREES FOR FALL COLORS  

FALL IS TRULY HERE! There is evidence in the air, in school hallways and on easels from north to south! As a former elementary art teacher, I never-ever tire of seeing the artwork of young children. I've gathered up a vast array of 'approaches' to the colors of fall trees as interpreted by children. What joy! What abandon! 

***Disclaimer alert. If you're brand new here, welcome. I am now morphed into an author/illustrator of children's picture books and travel the countryside making school visits and speaking at teacher conferences. I only get credit for capturing these photos of work-on-display during my school visits. I was not involved in their creation. I share the images here to inspire you and show you the excellence-in-education that I get to observe during my adventures! 

This first set of paintings was fresh off-the-easel and drying on the hallway floor in Cincinnati just last week. These vibrant treasures were still wet with energy and enthusiasm. They are from the creative hands of the young children at the Seven Hills School. 

Trees are such an 'easy' subject. For all sorts of reasons. They stand still for one thing. They make great models! LOL. The finished art that follows is all to be treasured. It's believable! There's no one that's going to argue with a kiddo as to the branch placement. It's encouraging to paint trees -- there's no ONE tree template. Fall trees are all the more fun, because you get to play with all of that color! 

Of the eight paintings above, every single one is a 'WINNER' -- each is totally and completely unique. Every example fills the page with exuberance, treefulness and autumnal awesomeness. Each one deserves a frame and place of honor. Every artist is respected for their individual interpretation of the season's change at hand. YEAH! 

This next approach also happens to be from Ohio and is from even YOUNGER children! The teacher has 'drawn' in a tree trunk to encourage fine motor dexterity of coloring. Then color mixing unfolds for the foliage. You'll see the 'parent-communication' in an image that follows. 

What to do with all of that 'open-ended' process art finger painting outcome? 

Here's the perfect fall bulletin board solution!

Let children paint to their heart's content. 

Depending on the age of the children, once the work is dry? 

Cut out leaf like shapes! 

If they're too young for scissors a volunteer can create the leaves.  

Here are a couple of mixed-media creations by older students. 

Various pieces of construction paper create the backdrop.

Next comes the crayon drawing. 

Then painted leaves are applied to the tree's limbs. 

VOILA! 

FALL!!!

This next set of unbelievable work is from Tennessee. 

These were on display earlier in the year and I just 'found' the images again while searching through my files. 

Is it spring and new growth? 

Is it the blaze of fall? 

I just had to include them here with their cousins. 

A fine tip marker for the drawing. 

INCREDIBLE vibrant water colors for the foliage! 

Breath-taking. 

I would purchase a set of notecards with these jubilant images, wouldn't you? 

Oh.My.Word. 

Speaking of happy. 

LOOK AT THIS NEXT SENTIMENT! 

And now to Florida. 

This next technique was on display in the children's wing of the Vero Beach Art Museum. 

The trunks are created by blowing through a straw..... 

creating rather random trunks and branches. 

Then think POINTILLISM application.

I'm big on BIG endings! 

Wait till you see this one!!

I have shared this next project from here previously. 

It is so truly briliant, I need to shine the spotlight once more. 

These were created by kindergarten children in Tampa.

Kindergarten, I tell you! 

At the beginning of the year, no less!  

 

I got to see the finished results while singing with them in their multi-purpose room. 

How I wish I could share 'exactly' how these amazing results were achieved. 

My guess?

Start by folding the paper to create the horizon.

Child paints the fall trees in their glory. 

{Folding the paper first will create the symmetrical reflection when pressed together while the paint is still wet.}  

This next photo was taken by a parent in the audience. 

That's me amid all of this amazing fall artwork above.

We are comparing my original quilts to the illustrations in my newest, nationally award winning picture book, 

"Red, White and Blue." 

available at our Early Education Emporium and Teachers Pay Teachers, too

Here's a FREEBIE Download of Autumn as subway art! 
Click over to our PreK+K Sharing Early Education Emporium.

If you're looking for some fun for October, 

I now have my "Monster Spray" available over at TpT as an immediate download purchase in Mp3 format. 
Click here to go to my store. 

Are you ready for some MONSTER fun? I've gotten my "Monster Spray" into a zipped digital file for your immediate purchase over at Teachers pay Teachers. It's time to get your copy for the monster-parties ahead.