"Joy in Motion" photo credit LaShawna Hoover

One of my favorite things to do this time of year with kids is to go on leaf walks. It is also fun to work together to rake up leaves and then jump into the pile or grab armfuls of leaves and throw them into the air while laughter fills our mouths and leaves fall on our hair. It is always much more fun to work on a task together. "Make it fun and it will get done." Looking for joy in our daily tasks helps lessons be retained better than anything I know.

"Autumn Color Palette" photo credit Jeanné Mirgon

A fun art project is to gather leaves of various shapes and colors. Press them between sheets of newspaper and old books. When dry, arrange them in a collage and cover with clear contact paper. I like to add a Bible verse or Thanksgiving prayer to use during this season as we move closer to the holiday of Thanksgiving.

Another easy art project is to take dry leaves and place them under a piece of paper and rub color crayons over the top. These can also be used to make decorations of placemats or other art work.

Gambel Oaklwaf rubbings from the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Looking for joy in all of life may be challenging but so worth it! Looking for woolly caterpillars, looking up nature facts and theories as we explore where we are, harvesting what's left in the garden or fields provide many opportunities for learning. Identifying trees, collecting seeds to plant next year, creating a notebook of recipes, a description of where the specimen was found and where it was found add to a memorable homeschooling adventure. Opportunities for art, science, reading, writing, geography, history and hands on learning are not far away.

Oak leaf tracings and Ponderosa Pine drawn at the Grand Canyon.

I have found good deals on sketch books and other art supplies at Ross stores, thrift stores, garage sales and other places. Saving money on supplies also brings me joy!

Nehemiah wrote, "the joy of the LORD is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10 He had a lot of difficulties as he sought to honor and obey God in his day and time. A great story and worth the read!

How are you celebrating fall and looking for joy? I'd like to hear about it!