There are variations on this craft depending on which templates you print and how messy you want to get.  You can either:

1. Print the Trunk and the Leaves and paste them together.  (Like the picture to the right.)
2. print the Leaves and decorate a "homemade" trunk (to make the trunk, trace your child's arm from the elbow up, including the fingers, like the picture to the right.)
3. Print the trunk and decorate with "handprint" leaves (fingerpaint)
   
4. You can also go outside and collect real fall leaves and paste those on like the picture to the right.

Materials:

• printer,
• paper,
• scissors,
• glue,
• something to colour with,
• You will also need fingerpaints if you choose the third option.
• You will need to collect some leaves from outsite if you choose the fourth option.

Instructions:

• Print out the craft template of choice.
• Colour pieces, as necessary.  (For a change of pace, try using different mediums than you typically do, such as paints or pastels).  Pastels smudged make really nice fall leaves!
• Cut out the pieces.  This step may require adult assistance.  Don't worry too much about getting the tree branches cut out perfectly.  We'll cover any remaining white space with leaves.
• Glue template pieces together or make handprint leaves, depending on the Alternative you chose.
• You can glue the entire tree to a decorated background (blue construction paper, with green tissue paper for grass and white cotton balls for clouds works very nicely!).

Craft Templates:

• Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.
• Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Leaves Template    (color)   or   (B&W)

Trunk Template      (color)   or   (B&W)

Printable version of these instructions

A Child's Calendar - November poem by John Updike

Autumn Math Worksheets