Activity: Leaf Etching

Materials

1. Leaves of different shapes and sizes
2. Plain white paper
3. Crayons

Steps

1. Collect leaves of all shapes and sizes as you explore your neighborhood.
2. Place the leaf a on a table with the leaf vein side up.
3. Lay a sheet of plain white paper over the top of the leaf.
4. Select a crayon that you would like to use and peel off its paper wrapper.
5. Turn the crayon on its side and gently rub over the top sheet of paper.
6. The leaf’s edges and raised veins will appear on the paper. Experiment with different crayon colors and leaf arrangements.
7. Do the leaves in your rubbings have patterns in common? Sort the leaves into groups based on the patterns made by their veins.