Pressed Leaf Prints
Collect leaves outside, place under paper, and rub a crayon over the top to reveal shapes and veins.
- Age2 to 6 years
- Time15 to 30 minutes
- EnergyCalm
- CostFree
- WhereIndoors or out
- Prep5 min
Collect leaves from outside, slip them under a sheet of paper, and rub a peeled crayon over the top to reveal the leaf's shape and vein pattern. Each leaf prints differently: a simple activity that rewards looking closely.
How to do it
- Go outside with your child and collect 4-6 leaves of different shapes and sizes. Bigger leaves with distinct veins (like jacaranda, maple, or any broad garden leaf) give the clearest prints. Avoid very thin or delicate leaves.
- Bring the leaves indoors and lay them flat on a hard surface with the bumpy vein side facing upward.
- Place a sheet of plain white paper over a leaf. Hold the paper still with one hand.
- Remove the crayon wrapper and rub the flat side of the crayon firmly across the paper in long even strokes. The leaf's outline and veins will appear.
- Lift the paper to reveal the print. Let your child choose the next leaf and the next colour.
- Make a collection: use multiple leaves on one page to create a pattern, or keep each leaf print separate and label it together ("this is the round one from the big tree").
What you need
- Leaves
- Paper
- Crayons
- Flat surface
Signs it is working
Your child rubs the crayon firmly enough to produce a recognisable leaf outline without prompting. They notice specific features: "there's a line here" or "that's the pointy bit". They choose the next leaf or colour without waiting to be asked
If it is not quite clicking
The print is faint because the leaf is thin: Choose thicker leaves. The print is faint because of soft rubbing pressure: Show the child how to press firmly. The print is faint because the crayon is still wrapped: Use the flat side of the crayon body, not the tip, to make the print. The leaf keeps sliding under the paper: Place a small piece of rolled tape under the leaf to hold it to the table. Your child loses interest after one or two prints: Set up a matching game: print the leaf first, then hold up the real leaf next to the print to compare
Make it yours
Younger, 2-3 years: Parent positions the leaf and holds the paper; child does the rubbing. The reveal moment is the highlight: make it dramatic ("ready... lift!"). Older, 5-6 years: Challenge them to make a "field guide": print each leaf, then draw a small picture of the tree it came from next to it. Rainy day variant: Press the leaves flat inside a heavy book for a day first: flat dried leaves give sharper prints. Extension: Cut out the printed leaves and arrange them into a collage tree.
Try this with your child.
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