Bring a little bit of nature into the classroom with this fun hands-on leaf rubbing activity! Children use real leaves to create colourful leaf rubbings and transform a bare tree into a beautiful, realistic-looking leafy tree.
How to Make Your Leafy Tree
First, collect a variety of real leaves. Try to find leaves with different shapes and sizes.
Place a leaf under the paper, with the leaf lying flat.
Next, take a thick crayon and turn it onto its side. Gently rub and roll the side of the crayon over the leaf. As you rub, the shape and veins of the leaf will begin to appear on the paper.
Keep rubbing until you have a clear leaf outline and pattern.
Make It Colourful!
Children can use lots of different crayon colours to create their leaves. Try green, yellow, orange, red, blue, purple or any colours they like!
Using different colours creates a fun tree filled with multicoloured leaves.
Make It Look Real!
Encourage children to position their leaves as close to the branches as possible, just as real leaves would grow on a tree. They can overlap some leaves and use different sizes to make their tree look full, natural and realistic.
The finished artwork will be a unique leafy tree made from real leaves, crayons and children’s creativity!
Skills Practiced
• Fine-motor skills
• Pencil/crayon control
• Observation
• Creativity and colour recognition
• Exploring patterns and textures
• Connecting classroom learning with nature
A simple, low-prep activity that gets children outdoors, exploring real leaves and creating their very own colourful tree!

Credits & Copyright
© 2026 Sonyja Murphy. All rights reserved.
This educational resource was created by Sonyja Murphy.
Illustrations in this resource were created with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT by OpenAI) and have been edited and arranged as part of this original educational work.