Photo of Governor Martin O'Malley with group of children - Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature

Outdoor Activities for Children

Let's Make Leaf Rubbings

Have you ever noticed that leaves have a wide variety of shapes? One way to learn more about leaves is to make leaf rubbings.

You Will Need:

  • Plain white paper
  • Crayons
  • A selection of interesting leaves.
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    What to Do:

  • Place a leaf on a hard, flat surface with the rough side up.
  • Put the piece of plain paper on top of the leaf and hold the paper so it does not move.
  • Use the side of a crayon (you will have to peel the paper off) and gently rub the paper.
    Make sure you rub the entire area, especially around the edges of the leaf.
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    You can also use your rubbings to learn to identify trees.

    Go to the library and get a book that shows different kinds of leaves.

    Once you know the kind of tree your leaves came from, write the name of the tree on the rubbing. Pretty soon you will be a tree expert.

    You can also do tree bark rubbings the same way; all you have to do is tape a piece of paper on a tree trunk and start rubbing.

    Outdoor Activities
    Children in Nature
    Maryland Department of Natural Resources

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