Scrape Painted Fall Leaves is a fun and easy art activity that’s sure to bring out the inner artist in your little ones. This simple but engaging art project that allows children to get messy, and learn a little bit of science, all while they create beautiful pieces of art.
If you want to make your Fall themed lessons a breeze, then check out the Fall Activity Pack. It’s filled with math and literacy centers, fine motor activities and arts and crafts templates. All of which are aligned with preschool learning standards. Check it out today.
Disclosure: Adult supervision is required for all activities at all times. Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I will be paid a commission if you use this link to make a purchase.
More Fall Themed Arts and Crafts for Kids
If you’re looking for Fall themed kids craft ideas, check these out. Here are some of my most popular ideas to try with toddlers and preschoolers this Autumn.
- Fingerprint Apple Tree Craft
- Fall Leaves Stamp Art
- Apple Stamping
- Snowy Owl Pine Cone Craft
- How to make Polymer Clay Fall Leaves
For more ideas, take a look at these 30 Amazing Fall Arts and Crafts for Kids.
Materials Needed
- The free fall leaf templates
- Cookie Sheet
- Printer and paper
- Red, orange yellow and gold paint
- Cardboard
- Scissors
How to make Fall Leaf Scrape Paintings
1. Download and print the free fall leaf templates.
There are four different leaf templates for you to use. Simply head to the bottom of the post and click the blue button to get your copy of this free printable for kids.
2. Place your template on a cookie sheet.
This step isn’t essential. It just makes cleaning up when your children have finished painting a lot easier.
3. Dot paint all over the template.
I used red, orange, yellow and gold paint for this art project. While you’ll need to place dots of the different colors all over the template, remember to focus on the side of the paper, opposite your dominant hand.
For example, if you’re right handed, place more paint on the left hand side of the picture. This is because it’s easier for you to scrape from left to right, and the dots of paint will come with you as you scrape.
If you want your children to do this step themselves, but don’t trust them with a whole bottle of paint, use q-tips instead. Your children can use the cotton buds to scoop up and place the dots of paint where they want them to be. Without the risk of spilling the entire bottle of paint all over the place.
4. Scrape the cardboard across the picture.
I used a small piece of cardboard from an old cereal box that I had cut into 2 inch lengths.
Simply hold an edge of the cardboard to the paper, and drag it across. This is the same motion as when you are using a squeegee for washing windows.
You can repeat this step to cover areas of the leaf where the paint hasn’t covered. Just remember that the more times you scrape the paint, the more blended your colors will be. Resulting in a leaf that looks mostly one color instead of a combination streaks of the different colors.
5. Let it dry.
6. Cut out your leaf.
Once your leaf has dried, you can cut it out.
This step may be tricky for toddlers who are new to scissor skills. If you are doing this activity with very young children, then you can either cut out the leaf for them. Or choose the basic leaf without all of the curved lines, as this template will be the easiest for them to cut by themselves.
What You’re Learning
Creativity
Arts and crafts are a great way to use your imagination and then create something that represents that idea in the real world. This is important not only for artistic pursuits, like painting or music, but also for problem solving. Which is an essential life skill that everyone needs to develop.
Your children may want to express their creativity in different ways. For example they could:
- Choose different colors (e.g. make a rainbow leaf)
- Scrape in a squiggly pattern instead of a straight line
- Use painter’s tape to make a pattern on the leaf before you paint over it. Once the scraping has finished you can remove the tape to display the pattern underneath.
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills refer to the small muscles in the hand and fingers. Developing these skills are important in being able to write when the kids go to school, as well as being able to complete tasks independently. (For example, dressing and feeding themselves).
Squeezing the paint (or using q-tips for application) as well as holding the cardboard scrapers are all going to help young kids develop:
- Pincer grip and/or palmar grasp
- Hand-eye coordination
- Dexterity
- Hand strength
Science
This is a wonderful opportunity to talk to your kids about:
- The seasons and how the environment changes in each one.
- You can also discuss why leaves change color in the Fall and how this impacts the tree they originally came from.
- Talk about why some trees lose their leaves and some don’t.
Planning and Organization
These Scrape Painted fall Leaves have several steps that need to be done in a specific order for this picture to work.
For example, you need to wait for the paint to dry before cutting out your templates. If you don’t, you’ll get paint all over your scissors and possibly ruin them.
Organizing the required materials beforehand, as well as planning out each step before you do it, is a great way for kids to strengthen their executive functioning skills.
Are you going to try these Scrape Painted Fall Leaves?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.
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87 Pages of Fall themed play based learning activities. Perfect for preschool and kindergarteners.
