Create adorable leaf print woodland animals with this simple nature art activity for kids.
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Here’s a super cute leaf printing project to do on a nice Autumn afternoon. As a bonus, the kids get to go out into nature and collect some leaves!
The critters you make won’t look exactly like ours because the leaves can be different depending on where you live in the world. It will also depend on the size of the leaves you collect.
The animals depicted here are an owl, a squirrel, a hedgehog and a fox. Aren’t they cute?
You can make any animal you like. While we’ve fitted four animals on one page, this will depend on the size of your leaves and art paper too.
This activity is for kids aged 6 and up, although younger kids make it with some adult help.
Are you ready to get started?
How to make Leaf Print Animals
You will need
- A selection of freshly gathered leaves in a range of sizes (remember to pick some small ones for ears)
- Art paper
- Permanent markers
- White paper for the eyes
- Optional hole punch
- Acrylic paint in warm Autumn hues such as red, brown, orange and yellow
- A Paintbrush
- Glue stick
How To
Cover your leaf in paint using your paintbrush (it’s best to do this over a sheet of scrap paper).
Press the leaf onto the paper and gently peel away to make a print.
Layer more leaf prints over the top to create animal parts such as wings, head, tail, ears, and body. You can use different colours or keep them the same for each animal.
Allow your prints to dry.
Cut circles (or use a circular hole punch) from white paper for eyes. Glue these on and draw pupils on with your marker.
Draw the rest of your animal’s details on freehand, such as a beak and feet for an owl.
Or a nose, ears, smile and legs for a hedgehog.
Our fox only needed a nose and front legs.
This one is meant to be a squirrel.
He’s on the hunt for acorns!
This art activity is open to interpretation for kids. What animals do you think they could come up with?
More nature art ideas for kids
- Create an open-ended DIY construction set from leaves, sticks, Blu-Tack and other materials
- Have you ever made ochre paint from rocks?
- Here are 27 nature art ideas for kids
