Fall brings out an abundance of materials to get crafty with, and one of the most versatile ones is fall leaves. This easy leaf printing art for kids is one of the most fun fall art projects you can do with and it works with kids in all age groups.
This leaf art is easy enough for toddlers and preschoolers and fun enough for older kids to enjoy, too.
Your kids will be using leaves as stamps to create a wonderful fall forest scene.
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This is a low-prep fall craft for kids, as unlike many other leaf crafts, this one doesn’t require the leaves to be completely dry.
You can use dry or green leaves; in fact, it’s even better if the leaves aren’t completely dried out as they will be easier to press and peel of the sheet of paper..
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How to Make Easy Leaf Printing Art for Kids
What you need:
- a sheet of paper (regular paper or painting paper)
- paints (non-toxic tempera paints are great, acrylic paints work well too)
- paintbrush
- brown marker (optional)
- oval leaves in different sizes
Quick Tips for Best Results in the Classroom
- Collect in Advance (or Make it a Walk): If time permits, take your students on a quick outdoor nature walk around the school yard to collect their own leaves.
- Best Leaves: Look for freshly fallen or freshly picked leaves that are still slightly pliable and have prominent, raised veins on the back. Super dry, brittle, or crinkly leaves will crack under pressure and won’t give a clean print.
- Use Trays for Paint Stationing: Instead of handing out individual paint bottles, pour small amounts of washable paint onto paper plates or shallow trays shared by each table or group.
Step by Step Tutorial
If you are working with younger kids, you can secure the sheet of paper by taping it to the desk.
The regular print paper will work, but it’s best to use heavier paper to avoid curling (sulphite paper works out especially well).
Paint the surface of the leaf with a paintbrush. The best colors to go with for this fall scene are red, orange, yellow, and brown.
Press the leaf, painted side down, on the paper to make a leaf print.
If your leaf print didn’t come off strong enough, add more paint. If you are working with younger kids and it takes them a while to paint the whole leaf (and the paint dries in the meantime), add water to the paint to dilute it a bit and it will dry slower.
Keep on going, overlapping the prints or keeping them apart, using different colors.
Once your kids are happy with how their leaf stamping art is coming along it’s time to draw the tree trunks and branches.
The easiest way to do it is by using a brown marker, however, kids can use the paintbrushes as well. If you are making this project with toddlers you might need to do this part for them.
Draw a line following the midrib of the leaf for the tree trunk.
You can use the veins of the leaves as a guide to draw the branches.
Only one finishing touch remains: paint or draw the ground with light brown paint. All done, this easy leaf printing art for kids is complete.
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