Arts & Crafts
Leaf and Bark Rubbings
Press paper against a leaf or tree trunk, rub with a crayon and watch a pattern appear.
Ages 3 to 8
20 minutes
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Get ready
2 minutes. Grab paper and a few crayons with the wrappers peeled off, and head to a yard, park or tree lined sidewalk.
What you’ll need
Paper and crayons with the paper wrappers removed. Optional: a clipboard or hardcover book to press against.
Let’s play
1. Find a fallen leaf with strong veins. Place it under the paper, vein side up.
2. Hold the paper still and rub the side of the crayon gently across it. Watch the leaf appear.
3. Try a tree trunk. Press the paper flat against the bark and rub. Compare the pattern with the leaf.
4. Hunt for three different textures: a leaf, bark, a bench, a fence post, a manhole cover.
5. Lay the rubbings out and guess which is which. Make a texture gallery on the fridge later.
Your part in the adventure
Hold the paper steady for small hands and get excited every time a pattern shows up.
What they’re discovering
They’re noticing texture and pattern in things they walk past every day, and learning that art can be found, not just made.
Before you begin
Use fallen leaves rather than picking them, and skip plants you don’t recognize. Check the bark for ants before pressing paper against it. Shade and water on hot days.
Keep the idea going
Younger kids can rub while you hold everything still. Ages 6 to 8 can label each rubbing with where it came from and make a neighborhood texture map. If the crayons break, that’s fine. Short crayons rub better anyway.
Every child is different. Adjust activities for their age and abilities, and stay close by. These are play ideas, not medical or developmental advice.