This activity is fun to prep for, as well as to do! To begin, gather leaves from your yard or a park that are of different sizes and shapes. Make sure to choose leaves that are freshly fallen so they will hold up to being pressed and painted. Once home, press them under a stack of heavy books for a few hours so they are nice and flat. Use acrylic paint to coat the veiny backside of the leaf. Flip it onto your paper and rub the topside to make your impression. In our examples, we also used a small amount of paint to brush out the outline of the leaf, leaving a negative image, as well as the positive imprint of the veins.
