Fall Leaf Prints

We’re in one of the last zones to experience the fall leaf change. Well, our trees have finally exploded in color! I was concerned that we would not get the really vivid colors this year after the hurricane. Hurricane Irene cut a swath across the area, “burning” crops and trees in addition to causing floods and knocking down tree.

Nature is resilient, however. Although there are more browns this year than golds and reds, there is still plenty of autumnal colors to enjoy.

We experimented making leaf prints with markers and watercolors and different paper. The kids decided (and I agree) that the watercolors work best, paired with paper with a little “tooth” (texture).

This is something very simple you can do with your kids–even if your leaves don’t change color at all!

1. Gather up some leaves.

2. Paint the leaves (we found water color worked best but the markers also worked, especially if we sprayed them with a little water). Experiment…try painting the leaf the colors that it is in nature. Try painting it all one color. Try non-realistic colors. And so on.

3. Press the leaves paint-side down. Roll with a rolling pin. You can also just press down but this is more effective and more fun!

Display your finished artwork!

Educational Connections:

• Science / Botany: Identify the shapes of leaves from local tree species. Label the leaves you found and paste the prints into your science journal.
• Science: Use your prints to identify and label the parts of the leaf.
• Science / Weather: Discuss why leaves change color–are the leaves really “turning colors”, or were they those colors all along?
• Weather: Discuss how the changing amount of light triggers the change in the trees and also how the weather during the year may affect the timing, duration, and intensity of the colors.
• Arts: Identify and describe the many colors of the autumn leaves. Older children can move beyond brown, red, orange, and yellow to describe different shades and variations.