Pattern Prints

What you need: 

• different types of leaves 
• paint (red, yellow, green, brown) 
• paintbrushes 
• paper cut into strips (approximately 18 inches long)

What to do:

1. With your child, paint the underside of the leaf with a brush. Then, place the leaf on a strip of paper and gently press down on it. 
2. Decide which type of leaf to use next and which color to paint it. 
3. Use combinations of leaves and colors to make a pattern. For instance, the pattern could be red oak leaf, yellow maple leaf, green elm leaf, red oak leaf, and so forth. 
4. Your child may want to create patterns and have a friend or younger sibling try to figure out the pattern and answer the question "what comes next?" 

From Hands-on Math Around the Year by Jacqueline Clarke

(Scholastic Professional Books)