Nature Rubbings

What to do:

1. Place a variety of leaves on a table top, floor or other hard surface.
2. Arrange leaves in an appealing design.
3. Cover the leaves with a piece of paper.
4. Tape or have someone hold the paper down.
5. Rub over the paper with the side of a crayon or a piece of chalk until a print of the leaf appears.

Variations:

• Give each child several square-foot pieces of sheet material or other solid colored cloth (any color). While one person holds the cloth against a tree trunk, another rubs the side of an oil pastel chalk or crayon over the cloth to record the texture of the bark. Try plenty of trees and color combinations.
• Take a stack of paper and chalk with you on a nature walk. Have children make rubbings of a variety of items, such as rocks, dirt, grass, shells, etc.