This idea is one we use in our Forest School sessions and birthday parties frequently as it is a popular one!  It is great for building writing muscles in little ones and they won’t for a second think they are working on writing skills.  The finished result is very effective and can be used to decorate your child’s room.  Head out on a walk and pick a few leaves for your project.  Remember to take only what you need and do not pick too many leaves from the same plant.  Some people use flowers for this project as well but I prefer to leave the flowers for the bees.

Leaf Bashing

You will need:

• a mallet of some description (a common metal hammer will work but a mallet with a larger hitting surface is easier for littler children.
• a variety of leaves of interesting shapes and colours (fresh ones work best)
• some cotton cloth (an old sheet works great) cut to size (why not try triangles and turn your leaf bashing into a beautiful bunting?)
• a flat surface to bash your leaves on — a round of wood works great but any flat surface will work.

Choose the leaves you want to use and the arrangement you would like them in, lay your cotton over the leaves and start bashing.  Please note that this method will leave leaf marks on the surface you are working on and it may need to be cleaned off if you want to do more than one.  Alternatively you can fold your cotton piece in half and lay the leaves in between the halves of your cotton and bash away.  This method will give you a symmetrical pattern with your fold line as your line of symmetry.

Can you identify the leaves you have used?  Which leaves make the richest impressions?  Let us know what you think.  Share your photos with us on Facebook, twitter and/or instagram.

Happy Bashing!

April