The first few weeks of school are busy and can be stressful. After school activities are back in full swing and it seems like everyone is heading in different directions. If your kids (and yourself) need a creative re-set, we pulled together a no-stress, doodle art activity that everyone can do together. And…believe it or not, the first day of Autumn is on Saturday, so we incorporated a leaf theme to celebrate!
Art is great for our emotions, and can help with focus. Doodling can be helpful for fine motor skills and helps increase muscle stamina for writing (my, what fine penmanship you have!). These are all beneficial for our developing students!
Let’s Get Started
Fresh air is always great to calm and reset your emotions. Call the family together and head outdoors for a quick leaf-hunt. Often times my kiddo’s protest these types of activities, but once we are out, smiles and laughter soon follow and they end up having a great time. Have everyone grab a few leaves. While you are out, encourage them to procure a few other “treasures” of nature. It’s fun to bring them inside and place the items on a windowsill or in a small bowl on the table for everyone to admire. I find bringing the outdoors in helps us to be present and mindful.
Next, gather your supplies:
- Colored paper and/or white paper
- Markers or crayons
- Black or permanent marker
- Scissors
- Glue
- Game Die
Print out a copy of our Fun Fall Frenzy art guide.
Paper Prep
Trace your leaf onto a colored piece of paper. Cut out the leaf and glue it onto another sheet of paper (light color or white will work). Using the black marker, trace closely around the leaf. Then draw a line down the middle of the leaf from the stem to the tip. Draw a few slightly wavy diagonal lines in both directions to cover the page.
Time to Doodle
Grab the game die and take turns rolling. Match the number on the die with the image on the Fun Fall Frenzy art guide to find the pattern you’ll use to fill in one of the spaces on your leaf paper. You can doodle with a black marker and then color in each square, or doodle with colored makers. Keep rolling and doodling until all the spaces are filled.
Hang your artwork so everyone can enjoy it this fall!
Keep going, keep growing!
Andrea