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Ann Gardner – Glass Artist

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Balance
Balance

I was passed on the web site of this glass artist, Ann Gardner. I’m in love with her work. Mosaic perfection. Beautiful pieces of art and installations. Inspiring. She’s based in Seattle, WA and when you read her bio you might feel inadequate. But I feel hopeful. I love glass and I get the feeling Ann loves glass more than most. Her art shows an appreciation of form and color and the juxtaposition of shapes and light.

Morning
Morning

Her body of work is mostly mosaic but she also blows glass as well as creates prints and etchings. There are sculptures and commissioned pieces. They’re all fabulous. Listen to me gush. And gush I will as will you!

rising
rising

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Leaf Learning Activities for Kids

There are lots of things you can do with leaves in the classroom and at home, and fun ways to learn about leaves as they start changing color in the fall. 

Learn about different kinds of leaves and match them to their trees with this printable from Montessori Nature. It includes 10 kinds of trees and their leaves to match with. If you have those trees nearby you can also find the real leaves to match with. 

Of course if you’re going on a leaf hunt yourself, you’ll want to save some of those leaves the kids find in their own leaf collection and identification books. You can learn how to make your own from Dappled Skies and DIYs. Or turn your leaf peeping into a sticky leaf scavenger hunt with this idea from Little Pine Learners.

There are a lot of easy art activities you can do with leaves, such as the classic rubbing (check out a tutorial if you need it from Laura Radniecki), complete a picture with half a leaf and learn about symmetry (like in this post from NurtureStore) or drawn in, on and around leaves to make fun art as shown in this idea from Artful Parent. 

Make your leaves into people, paint on them or with them; there are so many possible ideas!

Trace your leaves, label them with what kinds of trees they came from, and then play a matching game like this one from Preschool Toolkit. 

Early Learning Ideas has some great printables on the parts of a tree and a leaf, the life cycle of an oak tree and leaf sorting that you can find on Teachers Pay Teachers. Or check out the leaf investigation worksheet from Turner Tots. 

Looking for more leaf fun? Check out these ideas for leaf activities that don’t use real leaves, and these that do. And let me know what your favorite way to play and learn with leaves is!

10 Fall leaf ideas [Recycled Crafts]

8 Fun Fall Leaf Math Activities

Cascading Fall Leaf Necklace [Jewelry Making]