Lots of Leaves

crayola supplies

Markers
Construction Paper

household supplies

leaves

Why

Spark a child's creativity and interest in science by using a real leaf as a pattern to draw a pile of leaves, no matter what the season.

Steps

1. Choose a leaf. Carefully trace around your leaf onto the paper using Crayola® Markers.
2. When you're finished tracing, move the leaf so it overlaps part of the first drawing, and trace the entire leaf again. Repeat this several times until you have an interesting collection of overlapping leaves.
3. Color each section created by the overlapping lines differently. Use as many colors as you want or use nature's colors to make a more realistic pile of leaves. Jump in and have fun.

When & Where

"What a fast and easy project for our nature badge."
- Cathy D., scout leader.

"My kids made a scrapbook by collecting different leaves. We identified each type of tree with a field guide."
- Rolando N., home-school parent of children ages 4 and 7.

Interesting Info

Unlike the bright colors of flowers, which attract pollinators, or the bright "Warning Colors" of many kinds of animals, the bright colors of fall foliage are a byproduct of chemical changes as the trees start to go dormant. These colors have no apparent biological function or significance.