It’s the end of October, one week to Halloween!  Those beautiful leaves are falling around in most of the US…maybe not Chicago after today!  We had our first snow!  I’ve lived in Chicago for 10 years and it’s never snowed this early!  My boys made a mini snowman!

For most of you, the fortunate ones, you still have some leaves!  For a fun fall project, outside of making snowmen in Halloween Costumes, take some leaves from varies trees in your neighborhood and create a leaf rubbing.  

1. Have your child arrange some leaves on top of some old newspaper. (You can place the leaves smooth side up to create a soft effect or turn them upside down so the veins of the leave leave a more dramatic pattern.)

2. Place a piece of construction paper and place over the leaves.

3. Remove the paper off of some crayons.  Take the crayon sideways and rub back and forth over the construction paper!  You can also use pastel chalk.

For fun try some dark paper with a white crayon!

Sometimes before you get to the leaf they might get a little crunchy…to preserve the leaves so they stay soft combine 1 part glycerin to 2 parts water in a bowl.  Soak the leaves for 24 hours in the solution.  Then lay then out on some newspaper.  To keep the from curling you can place them in an old phone book.  Let them dry for a couple of days.  This cleans them too so you don’t have to worry about mold!

(You can usually find glycerin at a craft store near the soap making products.)

Your child can also cut out the leaf patterns that appear and arrange on another piece of construction paper.  Fall cards are also fun to make with the leaf shapes on the front!

OK, say you are lucky enough to live somewhere warm…No Fall leaves, no snowmen dressed in Halloween Costumes…You can do the same things with flowers and seashells!

Have fun & stay warm!  Happy Halloween!  See you next month! Read the rest of this entry »

We will be opening soon.  We are still trying to work out all the kinks!