Exploring autumn through art

As the seasons shift and the crisp autumn air settles in, we've been making the most of nature’s treasures here in the baby room. Over the past few weeks, the babies have been busy collecting all sorts of wonderful autumn items, leaves, conkers and pine cones and this week, we found a fun and creative way to put them to use!
To bring a seasonal twist to our sensory play, we set up a simple but exciting painting activity. We placed paper in small trays, added blobs of autumn-coloured paint, rich oranges and browns and invited the babies to choose from a selection of natural items to use as their paintbrushes.
It was amazing to watch how thoughtfully the babies engaged with the materials. Some picked up spiky pine cones and rolled them through the paint, while others gently pressed leaves onto the paper to see the patterns they could create. The conkers added another level of texture and exploration, allowing the babies to experiment with rolling, stamping, and dragging.
Beyond the mess and fun (which there was plenty of!), this activity offered so many opportunities for sensory development, creative expression, and fine motor skills. Most importantly, it gave the babies the chance to connect with the natural world in a meaningful and playful way.
We loved seeing their curiosity and creativity bloom just like the beautiful artwork they created!