Daily At-Home Project: Leaf Imprints

by | Jun 1, 2020 | At-Home Enrichment | 0 comments

Please find below our daily SolBe Family update letter containing helpful resources and exciting projects to explore while we all do our part to stay home during this pandemic. Subscribe here to receive updates.

June 1, 2020

SolBe Families,

I am devastated over the events of this past week and to write a happy-go-lucky project post feels inauthentic. My hope is that somehow, someway, we can come together to change the future of our country and ALL of those who live here. In my heartfelt opinion, this starts with our children and how we model and share our beliefs with them.

I came across this piece on prettygooddesign.com and wanted to share. It is never too early to start talking to your children about race. I would also recommend this NPR feature, Talking Race with Young Children –  a well-worthwhile twenty-minute listen.

Children are more perceptive than even the most in-touch adults. They know we are hurting right now and can sense the tension and pain in our world and community. Remind them often that they are safe.

If you are able to get outside today, I found that a walk to collect leaves and absorb a bit of sunshine with Sloaney brought about some much-needed peace. This project is easy, mess-free and once you have collected your leaves, it takes no time at all to set up.

Book to Pair with Project

We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger and illustrated by Miki Sakamoto is a classic. I linked a YouTube reading here if you do not have the book on hand!

Project of the Day: Leaf Imprints

Materials

  • Paper
  • Crayons
  • Leaves

Step One

Go on a leaf collecting exploration! See if your kiddo can identify different shapes and sizes that might be interesting for imprinting. Lay all of your goods out! I have tracing paper here, but it actually worked better to just pull out a huge sheet of regular paper.

 

Step Two

Easy as pie! Well…actually…much, much, much easier than pie. Place the leaves on a flat surface with the paper over them. Any crayon or pencil will do to create the imprint.

Sloane was asking wonderful questions. Does the paper need to be sticky? Will the prints be green like the leaves? We talked about pressing the crayons down really firmly or maybe applying lighter pressure and seeing the difference. We explored the different shapes of the different varieties of leaves we had chosen.

She explored using the top of the crayon versus laying it flat on its side and tracing over that way.

      

Most important direction, as always: HAVE FUN!  

More resources to follow in the coming days. Feedback and more ideas welcome! 

Above all, be well and stay healthy!

The SolBe Team


Be Supported

We’ve felt the uncertainty that occurs when our children are in the care of someone else. At SolBe, we know you will always be your child’s first teacher; we’re here as a knowledgeable partner in your child’s education.

From our experience, children rise to the intellectual life of those around them, so we are committed to growing as individuals and as a team. You can count on us to provide a warm and engaging learning experience for your little one.

Be Inspired

We’ve spent thousands of hours in classrooms that either overstimulate, underwhelm, or actively prevent educators from delivering the highest-quality education and care. At SolBe, you’ll go beyond the traditional four-walled classroom.

Our award-winning, inventive and uplifting learning spaces stimulate the senses and instill feelings of home-like safety and comfort. They allow for your child’s, and our educators’, changing needs and emotions. They create room for wonder—for learning, and living, outside the lines.

Be Immersed

We’ve seen what’s lost when things are done the way they’ve always been done before. SolBe is an adaptive Spanish exposure program that refuses to accept the status quo.

Our inventive practices grow from the shoulders of giants, with roots in the Reggio Emilia approach, the Montessori method, and well-researched cognitive disciplines that attend to the whole child. We create opportunities to develop character attributes that your child will benefit from for a lifetime. Collaboration. Communication. Independence. Healthy risk-taking. Critical thinking. Emotional awareness. Resilience. Intellectual curiosity. Creative innovation. An authentic love of life and learning.

Be Well

We know what it’s like to forget to feed ourselves—physically, mentally, and emotionally. At SolBe, we understand it’s impossible for you to pour from an empty cup. And we do what we can to keep your cup full.

Our learning ecosystem is designed with children and educators—and you—in mind. Seed-to-table nutrition program. Yoga and mindfulness. An all-inclusive experience so you don’t need to worry about finding time to provide meals, diapers, or wipes (unless you want to). Evening and weekend family programs.