Art & CreativityLeaf Rubbing for Kids: Crayon Prints of Real Leaves
Leaf rubbing for kids: put a real leaf under paper, rub with the side of a crayon and watch the veins appear. Easy, calm and almost no mess.
- Craft
- Ages 3-7 · Preschool–Grade 1Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Year 2Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Class 1Ages 3-7
- 4 things to gather
- 6 steps
What Your Child Will Learn
- Hand strength and a steady, gentle pressure from rubbing with the side of a crayon
- Careful looking at the shape and veins of a real leaf
- Describing words such as veiny, pointy and smooth
- Patience and focus, with a result to be proud of
How to make a leaf rubbing
6 stepsBefore you start
Leaf rubbing for kids is one of those quiet crayon games that seems like magic. When a leaf sits under a sheet of paper and your child rubs over it with the side of a crayon, the leaf's shape and every vein appear on the page.
All you need is a handful of leaves from a walk, plain paper and one chunky crayon. It is an easy way to look closely at nature, and a good workout for small hand muscles.
Step 1: Collect some leaves: Take a short walk and pick up a few fallen leaves of different shapes. Choose leaves with clear veins, and press them in a heavy book for a day if you can.
Step 2: Put the leaf under the paper: Lay the leaf on a flat table with the veins facing up. Cover it with a sheet of plain paper and hold the paper still with one hand.
Step 3: Peel the crayon: Peel the paper wrapper off a chunky crayon so you can use the long side, not the tip.
Step 4: Rub gently: Lay the crayon on its side and rub gently across the leaf in one direction. Watch the shape and veins appear as if by magic.
Step 5: Try more leaves: Move the leaf, or choose a new one, and make more rubbings on the same page. Try different colours and different sizes.
Step 6: Talk about what you see: Ask which leaf has the most veins, which has pointy edges and which is smooth. Name your favourite and hang the page up.
Ways to extend the game
- Idea 1
Make a rubbing of every leaf from your walk, and sort the page into big and small.
- Idea 2
Try bark, coins or a textured wall as well, and compare the patterns.
- Idea 3
Use two or three colours on one leaf for a rainbow effect.
- Idea 4
Cut out the rubbings and use them for a leaf garland, or fold them into a card.
- Idea 5
Follow up with leaf prints, a big-to-small row and a colour-match game.
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