Use elements from nature to create a colorful placemat.
This idea was submitted by Lydia King, garden program coordinator at the Westport Council on Aging in Westport, MA. She said it was an ideal project for the folks in the Social Day Program. Steve brought his home for the counter. It brightens the spot where he enjoys his coffee!
1. Collect fall leaves of varying shapes, sizes, and colors. Depending on the mobility of the group, this can be a good as an outdoor activity. Otherwise, you can request leaves from others or collect them on your own.
2. Have participants select the leaves of their choice.
3. As they select the leaves, have them try to identify the leaves. This is a good project for reminiscing about Fall and things associated with the season.
4. Have participants select a sheet of colored paper.
5. They can then glue the leaves to the paper. Encourage creative placement of the leaves by color or pattern.
6. Once complete, laminate the sheets.
7. Use the placemats for a harvest snack of hot apple cider and ginger cookies.
| Setup Time | 1 hours |
| Completion Time | 1 hours |
| Resources | Sheets of colored paper-approximately 11 x 17 inches Leaves, pressed flowers glue/glue sticks lamination |
| Benefits | making choices sequencing tasks creative expression fine motor skills reminiscing |
| Skill Level | Easy |