Leaf Crafts for Kids

Fall is a terrific time to incorporate leaf crafts into kids’ daily activities. You can take kids outside to get some fresh air and physical activity while they collect the leaves. Then you can come indoors again and keep them busy with the crafts. Leaf crafts are fun and they also help to build motor skills in young children. Plus leaf crafts can be used in conjunction with learning other lessons like how the seasons change.

There are many different leaf crafts for kids and you can probably think up many more on your own but here are a few to get you started:

Faux tree. Take brown construction paper to create the trunk of a tree. Then make the leaves of the tree with the leaves which you have collected from outside, gluing them on to the construction paper branches. You can hang this on the wall and write things on the trunk of the tree such as the birthdays that are happening in the fall months.
Leaf photo frames. Pick up some cheap photo frames or create your own using construction paper. Have the kids glue or tape their leaves as decorations on the frame. Then, take some fun fall photos. Dress up like scarecrows or go pose by the trees outside. Kids can pick a favorite photo to stick in their fall photo frame.

Leaf rubbings. Take a leaf and place it on a table or desk. Cover it with a blank piece of paper. Kids can use charcoal or crayons to rub over the paper and the impression of the leaf will come out. This will seem magical to young children who can then draw or decorate the new leaf. A variation on this is leaf tracing.
Leaf scrapbook album. Use construction paper and yarn to create a scrapbook. Kids can glue their leaves to each page to create their own album. One variation on this is to create a fall story, writing the text underneath each leaf on the page. Another variation is to have children glue one leaf on each side and to describe what is the same and what is different between the two leaves that are facing each other.
Leaf Strings. For this you’ll need string or yarn and the leaves as well as a hole puncher. Punch holes in the tops of the leaves and then string them to make a decoration. Eventually, the leaves will crumble and fall off; you can use this to reinforce lessons about the changing of seasons and the way leaves fall off of trees.
Leaf Wreath. All you need for this one is the leaves, some glue or tape and a paper plate or other round shaped object. Have the kids glue or tape their leaves to the plate to create a wreath (cut out the center to make it more wreath-like). Add decorations such as ribbon, glitter or coloring. Variations on this leaf craft include the Thanksgiving Wreath in which you write “things you’re thankful for” on the leaves or on the center of the plate where there aren’t any leaves.

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