Activity
Explore the Natural World
Fall is the time of year when the days start to get shorter, the weather turns cooler, and leaves start to change colors and fall off the trees in our neighborhoods. What can you create using this colorful fallen foliage? Here are some ideas and activities for you to try at home.
Leaf Art Collage
- For this project collect leaves of different sizes, shapes, and colors.
- Play around and arrange your leaves on a piece of blank paper and see what you can create. Can you make your favorite animal out of leaves? A self-portrait? The only limit to your design is your imagination!
- Once you are happy with your design, glue your leaves to your piece of paper to make your masterpiece permanent.
Paint Leaf Stamp
- For this project collect leaves of different sizes, shapes, and textures.
- Using a paintbrush apply paint to one side of a leaf, then carefully press the painted side down onto a blank piece of paper to make a stamped image. Play around with mixing different colors of paint on one leaf to see what types of effects you can create.
- Using this leaf stamping technique you can create custom greeting cards and gift wrap to share with your friends and family.
Clay Leaf Print
- For this project collect leaves of different sizes, shapes, and textures.
- Roll air dry clay into a ball with your hands, then flatten it to create a disc. Use a rolling pin or something similar to roll out your disc so it is of even thickness.
- Press a leaf into your clay disc so that it leaves an imprint image. You can use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to sharpen the lines of your leaf imprint. Allow your clay to fully dry before enjoying your finished print!
- You can create a small hole at the top of your clay disc after you are done with your leaf imprint. Once your clay is dry, you can attach a piece of string, yarn, or ribbon through the hole to turn your imprint into a hanging ornament.
Booklist
Find a good book to fall into from our booklist for elementary school students.