Leaf Skeleton

What You Need:

• Wood, 8" x 10"
• Carpet, 8" x 10" or smaller
• Tacks
• Hammer
• Leaf
• Shoe brush, with natural animal bristles
• Plastic wrap
• Flatiron, with parental supervision
• Newspaper

What You Do:

1. Tack the carpet in place on top of the wood.
2. Have your child find a leaf that he likes and place it on top of the carpet, top side up.
3. Help him hold the leaf with one hand, while gently brushing the leaf with the bristle brush in the other. This will help remove the fleshy parts from the leaf.
4. Flip the leaf over, and repeat gently brushing the leaf until the leaf skeleton is all that remains.
5. Carefully place the leaf skeleton between two sheets of plastic wrap.
6. Have him cover the plastic with newspaper.
7. Help him to quickly iron over the leaf with a warm iron. This will lightly melt the plastic, forming a clear viewer.
8. Time to investigate! Ask your child what he sees. Does it remind him of anything else he has seen in nature? How would he describe the skeleton?