EYFS - Leaf Threading

Learning Objective: Angles

Maths - recognise, create and describe patterns

Physical Development - Moving and Handling handling equipment and tools effectively.

Resources

Hole punchers – standard classroom hole punchers and craft punchers with different shapes

Brightly coloured threads in different sizes, from 30 cm to 1m

Rug

Sticks around 1m in length

Introduction

Take the children outside to an area that has abundant amount of shrubs, and leaves. Look at the leaves of each of the trees and choose an area outside to work.

Activity

Choose a few leaves for each child and sit together on the blanket. Supervising the children, allow the children to punch holes in the leaves and suggest patterns to them. Pre prepare some examples if needed, some with holes punched around the outside, some with holes punched in shapes. Offer the children the threads and strings and allow them to thread the leaves together. If needed, support them in either tying knots to secure each leaf. Allow the children to play with their lengths of leaves and thread. Together, choose an area the children would like to decorate. Push the large sticks in to the ground and gather more leaves together. Allow the children to decorate the sticks and ask them to thread the leaves on the sticks, using the largest leaves first.

Extension

Look at examples of natural art with the children such as Richard Shilling and Andy Goldsworthy. Talk about the art and allow the children time and more leaves and perhaps some sticks to create examples of their own. Discuss any patterns they can see in their art and in the examples, you have shown them