13 Preschool Crafts Using Leaves

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Whether leaves are freshly fallen in the autumn or picked up during a nature walk in spring, they provide texture, color, and endless opportunities for creativity making preschool crafts using leaves.

Preschoolers love exploring the natural world, and turning leaves into art helps build fine motor skills, encourages observation, and introduces them to concepts like color, symmetry, and pattern. Here are some fun and easy preschool craft ideas using leaves, with short intros for each to spark your inspiration.

Leaf Art with Preschoolers

Leaf Rubbings
A classic and calming art activity, leaf rubbings let kids see all the intricate veins and patterns in a leaf by placing paper on top and rubbing with crayons or pastels. It’s a perfect way to explore textures while creating something beautiful.

Leaf Collages
Let children glue a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors of leaves onto a sheet of paper to create abstract art. It’s great for sensory input, creativity, and discussing what makes each leaf unique.

Leaf People
Turn leaves into characters by gluing them to paper and adding googly eyes, arms, legs, and silly faces with markers. Each child can create their own “leaf family” or a whole community.

Leaf Crowns
A fun wearable craft that lets kids feel like royalty. Use a strip of cardstock or a paper band and help kids glue colorful leaves around it to make their very own autumn crown.

Leaf Wreaths
Cut out the center of a paper plate to make a ring, then have kids glue leaves around the edges for a festive fall wreath. Hang it on the door or wall for seasonal cheer.

Leaf Sun Catchers
Press leaves between contact paper or wax paper and display them in a sunny window. The light shining through shows off the colors and patterns beautifully, like stained glass.

Leaf Painting
Let kids paint directly onto leaves using brushes or fingers. Once decorated, they can press the painted side onto paper like a stamp or leave them as-is for a colorful collection.

Leaf Sorting and Gluing
This craft turns into a math and fine motor activity too. Ask kids to sort leaves by color or size, then glue them into groups or patterns on paper.

Leaf Hedgehog Craft
Cut out a hedgehog body shape and let kids glue leaves to its back as the quills. It’s adorable and fun for talking about animals that live in the woods.

Leaf Butterflies
Use large leaves as wings and a stick or paper strip as the body. Add pipe cleaner antennae and googly eyes for a fun insect-inspired craft.

Leaf Mobiles
Tie leaves with string and hang them from a stick or branch to create a beautiful nature mobile. Hang it from the ceiling or a doorway for a gentle, whimsical decoration.

Leaf Stamps
Dip leaves into paint and press them onto paper like stamps. Each leaf makes a different shape, and this activity helps kids explore negative space and outlines.

Leaf Prints with Clay or Salt Dough
Roll out air-dry clay or salt dough, press a leaf into it to leave an imprint, then let it dry and paint. These make sweet keepsakes or ornaments.

Spring and Fall Activities for Preschool

For more great spring and fall ideas, check these out:

• Daycare Garden Activities for Toddlers
• Fall Activities for Preschool
• 20 Fall Garden Activities for Kids
• Fall Nature Wands DIY

Learning Through Nature and Art

Crafting with leaves is one of the easiest and most enriching ways to blend nature and creativity in your preschool day. Whether you’re focusing on seasons, colors, textures, or just having some sensory fun, leaves offer the perfect hands-on material for open-ended exploration. These crafts are low-cost, easy to set up, and leave room for imagination, making them ideal for young learners. Next time you’re outside with your preschoolers, grab a handful of leaves and let the creativity bloom.