AUTUMN

Before starting remind children of the various ways PlayMais can be used:

    Cut - into circles, long strips, cut in half lengthways, chopped into small pieces

    Pinched into balls, rolled between the fingers into cylinders, small pieces rolled out with a rolling pin

   (or the side of a pen or pencil) and then cut to shape a leaf for example.

Discuss how sticking on pieces all in a certain direction will make a difference to the texture of a picture

e.g: arrange tree trunks vertically, follow the line of a branch etc.

Autumn Trees

3-D

First form a base by sticking 3 pieces of Playmais vertically

onto a piece of stiff card.

Gradually build upwards. Make the trunk narrower towards the

top by cutting pieces vertically or rolling them to reduce the size.

Pinch and roll branches and twigs.

Roll out pieces of orange or yellow PlayMais. Cut into leaf shapes

with scissors and attach to the branches.

2-D

Halve pieces of grey or brown PlayMais lengthways and stick on paper vertically to make a trunk.

Add paper or PlayMais leaves in orange or yellow.

Large Frieze

Cut out large tree shapes from paper. Children then stick on PlayMais vertically to make textured trunks and branches.

Glue the trees onto a prepared background.

Add leaves to finish.

Pumpkins

Two outlines of pumpkins are included. Click on the button below to access them. The first is a blank outline.

Older children can draw features on the pumpkin and them colour them black. Younger children could use the second pumpkin which has a face already drawn on.

Use green pieces for the stalk. Stick on orange pieces to fill in the shape. Suggest that the lines are followed to make the shape realistic.

Save PlayMais by cutting the pieces in half vertically before sticking down.

If you intend to mount the pumpkins in a collaborative display it is best to cut out the pumpkins before adding the PlayMais.                                                                                                                                                                     CLICK TO ENLARGE

Berry Sprigs

This idea is suitable for older children: upper primary.

A4 or A5 sheet of paper for each child. If possible have sprigs of berried leaves for children to study

e.g. rowan, viburnum, snowberry

Rowan sprigs:

Cut a piece of brown PlayMais with scissors vertically into eighths.

Use some of these, dampen and stick onto the paper to make the main stem.

Cut the remaining pieces vertically in half again . Use these to make fine twigs branching out from the main stem.

Cut pieces of green PlayMais in half vertically. Roll or press each half flat and trim it into a leaf shape.

Add these to the twigs.                                                                                                 CLICK TO ENLARGE

Finally cut pink PlayMais in half horizontally and then in half vertically.                                        

Roll the cut edges to the inside to shape the pieces into balls.

Stick these on at the base of the twigs.

Use white PlayMais for snowberries.

Try making yellow leaves with orange berries.

Finished sprigs would look good mounted on green card.

Add calendar tags to make them into Christmas gifts