Leaf Person: Outdoor Arts and Crafts Activity

Unleash creativity and connect with nature with this enchanting TES resource! Perfect for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (KS1), this leaf art activity blends outdoor learning with arts and crafts, focusing on leaf identification and imaginative play. Get ready for a natural art adventure that brings your curriculum to life!

Preparation
Print the Leaf People worksheet A4 or A3 (which features an outline of a person with empty spaces for ‘head’, ‘arms’, ‘legs’, ‘body’). Gather glue sticks and provide each child with a clipboard to make working outdoors much easier.

Extra tip: Read leaf man before starting the activity.

The Hunt:
Take your class to a designated outdoor learning space—a playground, school garden, woodland area, or park. Explain that they are going on a hunt for the ‘body parts’ of their leaf person!

Find the Parts: Children need to find different leaves and natural materials (small twigs, petals, tiny stones) that can represent the various parts of their leaf person on the worksheet:

Head: A round or oval leaf, or a cluster of small leaves.

Body: A larger leaf or several overlapping leaves.

Arms & Legs: Longer, narrower leaves, or small twigs.

Eyes, Nose, Mouth: Tiny leaves, petals, or small stones.

Create & Glue
Once they have collected their materials, return to a suitable outdoor spot (or back to the classroom). Using their clipboards for a stable surface, children glue their found natural items onto the worksheet to create their own unique leaf person. Encourage them to experiment with different textures and colours.

Share & Celebrate
Conclude the lesson with a sharing session. Children can introduce their leaf person, describe the materials they used, and perhaps give their person a name. This encourages verbal communication and pride in their creations.

Benefits of Outdoor Learning:

Enhanced Observation Skills
Being in nature encourages children to observe details, textures, and colours more closely, which is vital for leaf identification and artistic creation.

Working with Natural Materials
Engaging directly with natural resources like leaves, twigs, and flowers helps children develop a deeper appreciation for the environment, understand natural cycles, and improves fine motor skills through manipulation and creation.

Hands-on Leaf Identification
A playful way to introduce different leaf shapes, sizes, and textures, encouraging early botany and environmental awareness.

Sensory Exploration
The tactile experience of collecting and working with leaves stimulates sensory development.