Who doesn’t love an idea for a simple craft that is actually pretty cool and really fun? Oh! Plus- it can be fun for all ages and gets you outside. I love activities that combine good outside time with a project at the end because it motivates the kids that just want to run around to have a little focus and it motivates the kids that just want to sit inside to get outside and explore.
You can get creative combining any number of outdoor and indoor activities, but for today’s activity, I drew inspiration from an elementary school science class I was recently observing. The end result will be paper leaf lanterns!
To get your kids ready, show them the pictures of example finished projects and then let them know that the very first step is to get outside to collect leaves for their lanterns. Depending on their ages and how long you want to spend outside, set a goal for each kid to collect 10 leaves. They can decide if they want them to be all the same, all different, or whatever they want! Once everyone has their leaves, head back inside.
Cut a poster board into strips that are each about 2” tall. (You could do this part before the kids are ready to go, to make it easier.) Then glue one strip to the top edge of wax paper and one strip to the bottom edge of the same piece of wax paper, as shown in the pictures.
Let your kids decorate the poster board edges (the side without the wax paper glued onto it), then flip over the flat wax paper/poster board “canvas”. Set out a small dish with glue and a paintbrush for each kid. Show them how to glue on the leaves to the wax paper and let them paint on the glue and leaves wherever they want! Paint the back sides of the leaves as well, to kind of seal them onto the paper.
Set aside to dry overnight! Once completely dry, roll the short edges of the wax paper together and glue (or tape) them into a cylinder. I recommend also stapling the poster board edges to make them a little extra stable. You can then hole punch two spots on the top poster board to string it with yarn so they can hang (by the window or on your porch), or you can leave them as desktop decorations!
Share pictures in the comments of your finished products! I love seeing how unique they all are!
