Stunningly Simple Leaf Garland for Kids

Have you ever made a leaf garland with your kids?

If you haven’t, I certainly would encourage you to try. Take the opportunity this year to find gloriously big leaves, and provide your children with a canvas for a spectacular display around your home.

The benefits of making a leaf garland

• They last quite a long time, both indoors and outdoors.
• Children gain valuable skills painting on surfaces other than paper.
• It builds your child’s fine motor skills.
• It teaches them colour recognition.
• It’s more environmentally friendly than your average garland!

Making a leaf garland

What you’ll need

• Big beautiful leaves
• Paints
• Newspaper and glue
• String

How to make it

1. Go outside and collect some beautiful leaves with your child. Take your time enjoying the surroundings and discuss the different types of leave you see. Chat about colours, shapes and sizes.
2. Bring them back home and set up an area with all the materials in front of your child.
3. Let your child paint or stick items onto the leaves.
4. Tie the leaves up with some string. If you leave don’t have stems, you can use a hole punch to sting them through.
5. Tie up your leaf garland.

Be sure to join in the fun with your child. It’s a lovely activity to enjoy together.

My eldest painted this stunning koala in a tree (it ended up being upside down – never mind!)

I created a gecko and tried to model other ways of being creative by cutting out newspaper and sticking it to the leaves. I thought the effect was lovely.

 

 

Just cut out some shapes in the newspaper and let your child glue them onto your leaf. They look absolutely stunning. Don’t want to cut out shapes? A hole puncher is a great way of making that super easy!

Here’s a great way to use leaves  and bark as a nature advent calendar for Christmas. I wish I had thought of that. It’s stunning!

What have you created together with your child lately?