This week in our second grade learning activities, we’re sharing this Fall Fine Motor Leaf craft that is perfect for second graders. We love fine motor crafts and activities and this creative fall art was no exception. Kids of all ages will love crafting up these Fall leaves (my three year old and 8 year old both had a blast!) It’s great because these leaves can get creative and as unique as the crafty kids like!
Fall Fine Motor Leaves Craft
(This post contains affiliate links.)You’ll need just a few materials for this easy Fall craft:
We started by making a leaf shape on paper. Fold a small square of paper in half and show your child how to draw half of a leaf. Now is a good time to discuss symmetry and that leaves are symmetrical. Second graders can discuss and learn about mirror symmetry by creating leaves on the halved paper.
Next, trace the leaf shapes onto the Plastic Canvas. Tracing with a marker onto the bumpy textured surface of the canvas is great fine motor work as the child holds the paper in place with their assisting hand and maintains control of the marker while tracing. You’ll want the child to manage the paper in place with bilateral coordination as they use both hands together in a coordinated manner.
After tracing the leaf shape onto the canvas, have your child cut out the shape with scissors. What a great scissor activity for older students like second graders! The holes of the canvas really provides feedback to the child as they cut the curved lines of their leaves.
After cutting out the leaves, start lacing! Discuss the colors of the plastic cording and identify warm colors (red, yellow, orange) that might be seen on Fall leaves. Explore the look of cool colors too (blue, green, purple) through discussion. Show the child how to thread the plastic cording though the holes of the canvas. Show the students a running stitch and use terms “pull, over, and under”. Try a whipstitch where the cording goes down through the plastic canvas and around the edge with parallel stitches over the edge of the shape. These are all great terms to introduce to kids as a pre-sewing skill.
Allow the child to create as they like on their leaves. Some of our leaves had long stitches that resembled the veins of the leaves (More symmetry!) and others were very creative with their colors and zig zagging lines.
This Fall craft is sure to get the creativity and fine motor skills going!
More skill areas covered in this activity:
Science: Discuss leaf types, tree names, and shapes.
Math: Count out squares and patterns with the stitches.
Crafting: Create a decorative garland with the leaves by hanging all of the leaves together.
Creative Expression: Each leaf can be as unique as your child and the leaves of the trees this Fall.
Functional Skills/Homemaking: Practice types of stitches on the plastic canvas.
Sewing: Encourage more homemaking skills by introducing a plastic needle and thread.
Fine Motor: Many fine motor skills are addressed in this activity-tripod grasp, bilateral hand coordination, scissor skills,
Looking for more second grade activities with a Leaf Theme? See what the other Second Grade bloggers team have come up with:
Tree Leaf Collection with {FREE} Leaf ID Cards from Preschool Powol Packets
Leaves Math: Even and Odd for Second Grade from Look! We’re Learning
Fall Themed Math Bump Games from School Time Snippets
Autumn Leaves Mini-Reports from Still Playing School
Owl Leaf Art from Crafty Kids at Home
Colorful Leaves Fall Craft for “MY LEAF BOOK” from Sallie Borrink Learning
More Fine Motor Fall Art you will love:
2 thoughts on “Second Grade Art Leaf Fine Motor Craft”
I never thought to cut them into shapes! What a great idea for fall!
I love this idea!
We have gotten past the simple lacing cards I've made, but my youngest still needs work on fine motor skills… This looks like a great idea for fall!
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