Last fall we highlighted Alyssa’s trip to the beautiful Lost Maples of Texas, click on over for helpful links for planning a day trip.

The hike through the Lost Maples is definitely worth the drive! We’ve put together a FREE printable book highlighting the gorgeous change of fall colors. You can find the FREE printable book link at the end of this post.

Follow Me to Fall

(FREE printable book)

I see a colorful pile of leaves.

I see one big brown leaf.

I see orange leaves on a tree.

I see two little leaves.

I see red leaves on a tree.

Follow me. I see more fall this way!

I see four leaves with points.

I see a bird’s nest up in a tree.

Go for a fall walk. What do you see?

Print this book FREE: Follow Me to Fall

Life with Joyce

Book of the Week GIVEAWAY: Let It Fall by Maryann Cocca – Leffler

Book of the Week: Let It Fall by Maryann Cocca – Leffler

Why we love this book:

Fall is on its way. “Mounds of color, raked up high – Jump right in and watch the sky.” Time for raking leaves, a chilly gusty breeze, apple picking, mountain air and the County Fair. The soft water color art introduces the changing color of the leaves and children enjoying outdoor scenes.

Grab your water colors and join the children as they paint their way into fall . . .

Fall Water Color Art

(FREE printable book at the end of this post.)

Supplies:

• Fall books
• water color paints
• paint brushes
• leaves of different shapes and sizes
• pencil
• card stock or water color paper

Step 1: Read Aloud Fall Books

• We read Let It Fall our Book of the Week GIVEAWAY
• We also viewed the gorgeous leaf colors from our post: A Day Trip to the Lost Maples of Texas

Step 2: Draw Leaves

• the children studied the leaves
• we discussed symmetry
• first they drew a line down the middle
• next, they drew each side of the leaf
• Miss Enigma had difficulty drawing and began tracing her leaves.

Step 3: Paint Leaves Fall Colors

• the children mixed shades of yellow, orange, red and brown to create their fall leaf colors

fall water color leaves, Miss Enigma, age 5

Step 4: Paint Blue Background Around Leaves

• we took our artistic inspiration from the water color paintings in Let It Fall

fall water color leaves, MacGyver, age 9

The Following Reading and Math Lesson was done one week after our fall water color lesson.

I See Fall Leaves

(FREE printable book at end of post)

Step One: Draw Leaves For Each Page

• Miss Enigma studied a very simple leaf.
• I once again, showed her how to draw a line and then draw each side of the leaf.
• Miss Enigma drew her leaves with a black Sharpie marker.

Step 2: Paint Leaves with Fall Colors

• She only painted 4 pages the first day.
• Miss Engima wanted to paint ALL of the pages, but I thought 4 was plenty for one day!

Miss Enigma, “This is my favorite! I love how I did the red, orange and yellow colors.”

Print this book FREE: I See Fall Leaves

Life with Jeannine

We’re GIVING AWAY one copy of  Let it Fall by Maryann Cocca – Leffler.

To enter this contest, just answer the following question in the comments section of this post.

What is your favorite thing about fall? (Or just say “Hey.” We’re flexible around here.)

The Rules:

One entry per person, please.

No entries after 8:00 pm Central Time, Thursday, September 27, 2012

The winner must be a resident of The United States.

The winner will be selected at random and announced Friday, September 28, 2012. Check back to claim your prize. It might be you!

Sharing this week at:

Hip Homeschool Moms

Mama Smiles

Book of the Week GIVEAWAY: Old Bear by Kevin Henkes

Why we love this book:

Kevin Henkes’ dreamy pictures take us through the seasons with Old Bear. Old Bear falls asleep in winter and dreams his way through a pastel spring, a bright green summer, an autumn covered in shades of yellow and orange and brown, and finally a winter sparkly and blue.

“Old Bear slept and dreamed, dreamed and slept.” Until he woke up to a beautiful spring day and realized he was no longer dreaming!

This week we’re featuring Calendar Activities for Children and a FREE printable calendar. Old Bear and a trip through the seasons ties in perfectly with teaching the calendar and the months of the year.

Calendar Activities for Children

FREE Printable Calendar

In kindergarten classrooms all across America, every morning begins with Calendar Activities. Through these calendar activities, children learn the months of the year, days of the week, counting, patterning and place value. The list of calendar learning activities is almost endless. Because of the learning possibilities, some teachers devote an entire wall to the calendar. For the homeschool setting, an entire wall is a bit out of the question. As you know our philosophy is to keep life and learning simple. Here is my low maintenance version of Calendar Time. For those of you who would like to take Calendar to the next step or into the classroom, I’ve pinned ideas for you at pinterest.

Supplies:

• FREE printable calendar
  • I have laminated this 11 x 17 Calendar so that I can erase it each month and use it over and over again.
• Dry Erase Markers or Vis-a-Vis Markers

Step 1: Read the Months of the Year

• First, I point and read the months of the year.
• I carefully model how to point under each word with one finger.
• It is important to teach children NOT to point on top of the words, covering the letters.
• Next, I let Miss Enigma point to each month and I help her read the words as necessary.
• As the year progresses, she will be able to do this without assistance.
• Last we identify the current month.

Step 2: Read the Days of the Week

• First, I point and read the days of the week.
• I carefully model how to point under each word with one finger.
• It is important to teach children NOT to point on top of the words, covering the letters.
• Next, I let Miss Enigma point to each day and I help her read the words as necessary.
• As the year progresses, she will be able to do this without assistance.
• Last we identify Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.
  • Yesterday was Tuesday.
  • Today is Wednesday.
  • Tomorrow will be Thursday.

Step 3: Count the Days of the Month

• First, I point and count the days.
• I carefully model how to point under each number with one finger.
• It is important to teach children NOT to point on top of the numbers.
• Next, I let Miss Enigma point to each number and I help her count the numbers as necessary.
• As the year progresses, she will be able to do this without assistance.

Step 4: Add Today’s Date (number)

• I model how to write the numbers on the calendar each day.
• As the year progresses, Miss Enigma will write the correct number each day.
• As the year progresses, we will start making patterns with the numbers (red, blue, red, blue . . .)

Step 5: Add Today’s Month, Day, Year

• I model how to write today’s Month, Day, Year.
• I model how to read today’s date, pointing under each word and number.
• Miss Enigma reads today’s date, pointing under each word and number.

Print this calendar FREE: Personal Calendar For Kids

Original Post: FREE Printable 2012 Calendar

• MacGyver, age 9, also keeps a calendar.
• MacGyver has graduated to using his calendar rather than learning the calendar.

For those of you who would like to take Calendar to the next step or into the classroom, I’ve pinned ideas for you at pinterest. As for me, I plan to keep life and learning simple.

Life with Jeannine

More Seasons For Children:

Fall and Winter Scenes: Art by Children

W is for Winter: Early Literacy and Math for Preschoolers

Find Activities for Every Season

FREE printable reading book: Seasons

We’re GIVING AWAY one hardcover copy of  Old Bear by Kevin Henkes.

To enter this contest, just answer the following question in the comments section of this post.

What is your favorite month or season? Mine is definitely ending the summer at the beach! (Or just say “Hey.” We’re flexible around here.)

The Rules:

One entry per person, please.

No entries after 8:00 pm Central Time, Thursday, August 30, 2012

The winner must be a resident of The United States.

The winner will be selected at random and announced Friday, August 31, 2012. Check back to claim your prize. It might be you!

As the Christmas season begins, I know I should be posting sparkling, snowy scenes. However, here in the South Texas Hill Country our Snowy Days are few and far between. As a matter of fact, we are currently experiencing fall. And believe it or not we have an area right here in the Texas Hill Country that rivals the fall foliage color change of New England.  Don’t believe me? I have the pictures to prove it!

Welcome to the Lost Maples of Texas. Be prepared to be wowed . . .

Definitely worth a day trip. So much to see and do in the area!

Life with Joyce

Photos by Daughter #2, Alyssa

Links:

Lost Maples State Natural Area

Foliage Color Change Report

Garner State Park

Hill Country State Natural Area

Reading Response Fall Art for Children

Fall & Winter Scenes: Art by Children

Leaf Man Journal Writing

Book of the Week: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Why we love this book:

What can I say about The Giving Tree? I’m sure most of you are quite familiar with this classic story about a tree who loved a little boy. As a teacher, The Giving Tree inspires endless lessons about our environment, love, giving, sharing, being thankful . . . . Through the years, I also find more and more metaphors hidden in this story of love. When reading the story to the children this week, MacGyver commented at the end of the book, “But he’s not a boy anymore, he’s an old man. Why did the tree still call him a boy?” I laughed and told him that some day when he’s a man, I’ll still think of him as my little boy. Then I wiped the tears from my eyes.

This Thanksgiving I decided to take The Giving Tree in a new direction. If you’ve spent any time here at waddlee-ah-chaa, you know I’m not an artsy – crafty kind of teacher. Art yes, crafts not so much. You won’t find any turkeys, Pilgrim hats or Indian feathers around this house. These Thanksgiving Trees are about as crafty as we get around here! But they are so sweet we might have to make them an annual tradition. Each year I can watch their hands and ideas grow.

Thanksgiving Trees

Supplies

• The Giving Tree
• white card-stock or paper
• black marker (we used a fine tip sharpie marker)
• watercolor paints
• green paper
• scissors
• glue

Step One

• Read books about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving
• Checkout post: Teaching Children the True Story of Thanksgiving
• Brainstorm things the Pilgrims had to be thankful for that first Thanksgiving
• These are the children’s ideas, not mine

Step Two

• Read The Giving Tree
• Pose question
• What did the tree give the boy?
• Did the boy thank the tree?
• At first MacGyver began to shake his head yes, then realized that the little boy never actually showed the tree how grateful he was for all that the tree had given him.
• Discuss the importance of being thankful and not taking for granted all of the good people and things we have in our lives.
• Brainstorm things we should be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
• MacGyver noted that we are thankful for many of the same things the Pilgrims were: family, food, shelter . . .
• We also discussed how luxury items like toys are nice to have but they are not necessary for us to live a good and healthy life.

Step Three

• I showed the children a little trick I learned as a child: How to trace your hand and arm to make the trunk of a tree.
• Miss Enigma asked me to help her trace her arm and hand.

Step Four

• Watercolor paint the tree trunk and tree canopy.

MacGyver decided to splatter paint the green leaves on his tree.

Step Five

• Cut green leaves.
• I showed the children how to fold a small piece of paper to create symmetrical leaves.

Step Six

• The children labeled their leaves with the things they are thankful for this year.
• I wrote Miss Enigma’s words for her.
• Glue leaves to tree.

Thanksgiving Tree Collage, Miss Enigma, age 5

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Miss Enigma’s Mommy looooooooooooves cheesecake! A LOT! Rumor is grandma is making a pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. It’s okay to be thankful for cheesecake, isn’t it?

Thanksgiving Tree Collage, MacGyver, age 8

What would we find on your Thanksgiving Tree this year?

Life with Jeannine