Happy First Day of Fall!

     One of Bart’s favorite things about fall is dodging falling leaves as he flies around at night.  He thinks it’s really fun to twist and turn around each one especially since the wind moves them through the air in such silly ways.  He decided it would be extra fun to celebrate falling leaves in a special way.  He made a mobile that let leaves with special messages flutter in the breeze and never fall to the ground!  He made one to show you so you can make your own!  Here’s how:

What you need:

A branch that you can attach your leaves to later and hang up

Colorful leaves

Clear contact paper

Construction paper or craft paper

A marker

Fishing line

 Scissors

Tape

What you do:

1)  Peal a piece of clear contact paper away from the backing and lay it sticky side up on the table.

2) Arrange your colorful leaves so that the fronts are pressed down on the sticky contact paper and there is plenty of room around each one.

3) Put a piece of construction paper that is slightly larger on top of the leaves and press it down so it sticks to the contact paper around the leaves.

4) Flip the whole sheet over and trace around the edges of the leaves with your finger.  Press down firmly to make sure the contact paper and construction paper stick together well around each leaf.

5) Have a big person help you cut around each leaf so you have a border of construction paper showing the whole way around.

6) Flip each leaf over so the paper side is up.  Write something that you like about fall on each leaf.

7) Tape fishing line to the back of each leaf and then tie the leaf onto the branch.

8) Hang the whole thing up where the leaves can flutter!

     Bart is planning to give each member of his class a leaf tonight at school.  That way everyone can write their own favorite thing about fall on the paper side of the leaf and hang it where they want on the branch!  He thinks it will be a wonderful way for everyone to do something special together.  Mother Bat mentioned how great this project would make the classroom look too!

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