Putting The Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

maple leaves

Canada Day Sensory Play

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This Canada Day sensory play invitation for a light table or light box is party-ready. Transparent maple leaves and light-u accessories are the highlights!

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This Canada Day sensory play activity is a must to include in a celebration of this annual holiday. It offers early learners the chance to explore Canadian flag-themed loose parts in an unexpected way on a light table or light box. Party supplies are a natural fit, and add pizzaz to the sensory invitation.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

Set out Canada Day-themed loose parts on a light table or light box for magical sensory play.

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Gathered for this red and white Canada Day sensory play activity are:

  • clear compartment tray
  • clear plastic egg carton
  • maple leaf frame
  • small Canadian flag
  • reusable maple leaf ice cubes
  • transparent maple leaves
  • red and clear gems
  • large red diamond-shaped gems
  • light-up necklace and glasses

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The Canada Day Sensory Play Invitation

This patriotic sensory play activity shines on a light table or light box. You can also use an economical DIY lightbox as a base. It will work just fine!

A clear compartment tray showcases red and white loose parts collected for exploration.

A maple leaf cut out taken from a hanging decoration makes a nice frame to decorate with loose parts. A rectangular frame can be used too.

A clear egg carton invites sorting activities.

Transparent maple leaves and reusable ice cubes, red diamond-shaped gems, and red and clear gems provide gleaming loose parts for little learners to explore.

Transparent maple leaves and gems are gleaming loose parts in this Canada Day sensory invitation for the light table.

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A small Canadian flag is another great accessory to arrange loose parts on.

Not all the items offered need to be transparent or light-themed. Rubber ducks and story stones add variety and interest.

This Canada Day sensory play invitation for a light table or light box is party-ready. Transparent maple leaves and light-up accessories are the highlights!

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A light-up necklace and pair of glasses add a party vibe to the sensory activity and offer additional ways to investigate light.

Maple leaf and Canadian flag finger projectors would be a fun accessory to include!

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This Canada Day sensory play activity is designed for a light table or light box. But early learners would love to explore the loose parts anywhere in your home or classroom.

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Set out Canada Day-themed loose parts on a light table or light box for magical sensory play.

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Related:

Canada Day Sensory Bin

Maple Leaf Activities

Butterfly Canada Day Craft

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[Read more…] about Canada Day Sensory Play

Spin Painting Maple Leaf Art

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Try this gorgeous spin painting maple leaf process art project today! It's a simple and satisfying activity the whole family will love to do!

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This spin painting maple leaf art activity is perfect for Canada Day, fall, or any time of the year. Early learners will LOVE using a salad spinner to make it! You will not find a simpler or more satisfying process art project.

Salad spinner art brings back memories of going to our local fair in the summer when I was young. There would always be a station with spin art, and it was my favorite activity to try.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

For this easy and stunning spin painting art project, gather the following supplies:

  • salad spinner
  • white cardstock paper
  • tempera paint
  • paint pots
  • teaspoons
  • maple leaf tracer
  • pencil
  • scissors

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Salad spinner process art maple leaf! It features colors seen in Canadian landscapes and decor.

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Creating Spin Painting Maple Leaves

Steps to make gorgeous maple leaf spin art. A simple and satisfying activity the whole family will love to do!

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To offer this process art project, trace and cut maple leaves from cardstock. Make them just big enough to fit in the bottom of the salad spinner you are using. Feel free to download this template to use as a tracer.

Download this free maple leaf template for art and craft activities.

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Maple Leaf PrintableDownload

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Set a cut leaf in the bottom of the salad spinner. I purchased an economical one just for art. But a salad spinner you have handy in your kitchen works just fine. The paint washes out surprisingly easily.

Next, place the cut maple leaf inside the spinner and cover it with the lid.

Using tempera paints in paint pots, invite your early learner to generously drip paint in colors of choice onto the leaf. I feature paint colors commonly found in our Canadian landscape and home décor. Red and white paints would work well for Canada Day. And of course, tempera paints in fall colors would look beautiful.

Try this gorgeous spin painting maple leaf process art project today. Using colors featured in Canadian landscapes and decor, it is perfect for Canada Day or any time of the year.

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Invite your little learner to spin the salad spinner for at least ten seconds.

Take off the lid and admire the beautiful result together.

After the first project, your little learner will want to make a few more. And the whole family may wish to get in on this gorgeous spin painting maple leaf art activity!

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Try this gorgeous salad spinner maple leaf art project today. Using colors seen in Canadian landscapes and decor, it is perfect for Canada Day or any time of the year.

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Related:  Valentine’s Day Process Art

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[Read more…] about Spin Painting Maple Leaf Art

Eye Dropper Leaf Art

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Stunning eye dropper leaf art that is quick and easy to create. An all- ages activity using supplies commonly found in the home.

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Young children love variety in painting tools, so they will welcome this eye dropper leaf art activity. Using liquid watercolors ensures that the art will be bright and cheerful. And who wouldn’t want to squeeze in just a little more splashy color before the winter season sets in!

The large leaves for this project are inspired by the many leaf paintings by American artist Georgia O’Keefe.  Georgia loved the colors and shapes in fall leaves and painted them to completely fill her canvasses.

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Supplies To Collect

For this easy-to-do art activity, collect the following:

  • liquid watercolors
  • paper towel roll
  • eye droppers or pipettes
  • paint containers
  • leaf templates

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Creating The Eye Dropper Leaf Art

Steps to creating beautiful eye dropper leaf art on paper towel designs.

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Draw or trace large leaves onto a paper towel roll. You may need two attached sections for each leaf if you go big, as Georgia O’Keefe did. I used oversized wall art leaves as templates and cut out a few different types.

Mix liquid watercolors of choice with a little water, and pour into paint trays. Featured are magenta, orange, and green hues.

Invite children to use eye droppers or pipettes to drip paint on their paper towel leaves.

A paper towel pattern accents the design in this eye dropper-painted maple leaf.

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When filled with color, dry the leaves on a flat surface.

Tip: Maple leaf designs work especially well for this activity. Little learners enjoy accenting their many curves and pointy edges.

Eye-catching leaf painting activity using an eye dropper technique.

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The colorful leaves can be displayed as-is, or mounted on cardstock.

Note: Because paper towel is so absorbent and the colors spread quickly, large shapes are perfect for this craft. And a paper towel canvas adds a unique texture to the art.

Eye dropper painting technique on paper towel leaves.

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Variations Of This Eye Dropper Leaf Art Project

Invite your little charges to drop paint onto leaves cut from sturdy art paper. I used 11-inch x 14-inch, 98 lb, mixed media paper for the leaves.

Steps to create eye dropper and blow dryer painted leaves.

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The paint will pool and start to blend slowly. As the art dries, invite little learners to check back periodically to observe the color changes.

In the completed project, I used a blow dryer set on low to hurry the drying process. It was fun and created a uniquely blended earthy-hued color combination.

A blow dryer painting technique yields beautiful results on a maple leaf cut out.

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Tip: For young children, I recommend inviting them to blow the paint around with straws instead of a blow dryer.

Copy paper also works for this drippy art activity. Below, the maple leaf is cut from 11-inch x 17-inch paper and decorated in two colors. This version dries the quickest.

Eye dropper painting on a maple leaf with magenta and orange liquid watercolors.

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Little learners can get overwhelmed with having to decorate a large canvas. But with this activity, bigger is better!

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Maple Leaf Activities

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Maple leaf paint print activities. Art, math, and display ideas for maple leaves.

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Maple trees flourish in eastern Canada and turn vibrant colors in autumn. But I happily settled for these deep green maple leaves from a tree that can survive our harsh Alberta winters. When painted, they produce striking leaf prints. The prints look stunning displayed but can also be used for other maple leaf activities.

Green maple leaves.

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Maple Leaf Activities

Leaf Prints

Early learners can join in making maple leaf prints. Set out orange, yellow, and red tempera paints, paintbrushes, and large pieces of sturdy paper. Invite your little learners to paint the leaves, turn them over, and press them onto the paper. Encourage them to gently rub all over each leaf before removing them.

Invitation to paint maple leaves to make leaf prints.

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Tempera paint maple leaf prints.

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Glitter can be sprinkled on the leaf prints to add a dose of glam before they dry.

Glitter added to tempera paint maple leaf prints.

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Painting the back of a leaf, and pressing it on paper clearly reveals the midrib and veins.

Maple leaf paint print with red tempera paint.

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Unexpected colors of paint, such as black or blue can be offered.

Maple leaf paint prints with blue tempera paint.

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Maple leaf paint print with black tempera paint.

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After the leaf prints dry, cut some out for other activities.

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Maple Leaf Person

Have your little learners bring a leaf to life by adding wiggly eyes and a permanent felt pen smile.

Crafted paint print maple leaf person with wiggly eyes and a permanent felt pen smile.

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Canadian Flag Art

The maple leaf is part of our Canadian flag, so it’s extra special to me.

Your early learners can help make a leaf print Canadian flag. Select a big red leaf to glue onto the center of a large, rectangular piece of paper. Have children take turns adding smaller, red leaves on each side to complete the flag.

Canadian flag art made with maple leaf paint prints.

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Maple Leaf Math

Select different sized crafted leaves for your early learners to order from smallest to largest.

Leaf size ordering with different sized maple leaf paint prints.

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Use some leaves for counting fingerplays.

Counting leaves with maple leaf paint prints.

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Leaf Art Displays

Mount cut leaves onto a white piece of paper with double-sided tape. Add a paper background in a contrasting color. Display the art on a shelf or wall.

Displayed maple leaf paint print art. Cut prints are attached to a paper background with double-sided tape.

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Hang trimmed maple leaves from a twig tree, or a decorative branch hung on a wall.

Leaf display on a twig made with maple leaf paint prints.

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Do you have a favorite tree to introduce early learning activities with? Share in the comments section below.

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[Read more…] about Maple Leaf Activities