Hey Mom – How About Some Fall Crafts For Kids? - A Guest Post By Lynn Banis

Fall is a busy time for kids. They have just started school and are working to get back into that routine. Lots of sports are in full gear. Its time for music lessons, art classes - you name it. Kids today are into all sorts of activities. They are programmed to be busy all of the time. Many parents like their kids to take a break from all of that and to have some real old fashioned play time. They want their kids to get outside and enjoy playing in the nice fall weather before they are cooped up in the house during the cold and inclement winter months. Here are a couple of art ideas that combine play with creativity.

Fall is a great time to collect leaves. In the cooler climates they come in vibrant colors. In more moderate climates they are in beautiful muted colors. They are like little gems that call to our attention. Let your kids collect as many colors and shapes as they can find and then display them in a glass covered box or glued onto a piece of poster board. They can create pictures made of leaves, a collage of colors and shapes or identify them by the trees they came from. Let them use their creativity and do whatever comes into their minds. This is intended to be fun.

You can also challenge you kids to create as many things as they can think of with a leaf or a bunch of leaves. I have seen kids make angels, people, tents, houses, villages, etchings - there is no end to their imaginations once they get started. It is great fun and it challenges both sides of their brains as they create and build.

Another great natural art supply is pine cones, seeds and nuts from the trees in your yard or in the park. Have the kids gather all they can find. You can even take a nature walk with them to give them a chance to get a good variety. Some of their collection can be made into great fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations. We have all seen turkeys made of pine cones and kissing balls made of gum tree balls. Some of these decorations can even be spray painted. Encourage your kids to make animals, people, 3-D pictures, toys, etc. Again they are only limited by their imagination.

Get their creativity going and have a great time crafting!

Lynn Banis PhD, MCC is known as America's High Performance Coach. Lynn specializes in helping women in leadership positions or wanting to be in leadership positions make the most of their opportunities and potential. She enjoys helping executives and entrepreneurs create their ultimate impact. Her years of working with small and large businesses has given her a depth of knowledge that is invaluable to her clients both as a business and a life coach.

Lynn is the autor of two books "The Discovery Journal" and "Discovery Points: A Coaching Guide to Getting Unstuck." Both can be obtained under Lynn's name at http://www.lulu.com. You can reach her at http://www.discoverypointcoaching.com. Also check out Lynn's other businesses: Coach Academy Texas, a cutting edge coach training company; and Turnkey Coaching Solutions, a coaching program management and contract coach staffing company.



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