Fall Leaf Pterodactyl Craft for Kids
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Take your fall leaf collection all the way back to prehistoric times with this Fall Leaf Pterodactyl Craft for Kids – Dinosaur Nature Art Project! This creative autumn activity combines a printable pterodactyl with real leaves collected outside to create a one-of-a-kind piece of dinosaur art. Kids can color their prehistoric creature, hunt for the perfect leaves, and then transform those autumn treasures into an impressive pair of wings.
One of the best parts about this fall nature craft for kids is that the adventure starts outside. Before sitting down at the craft table, head into the backyard, walk around the neighborhood, or visit a park and search for interesting fall leaves. Look for fiery reds, bright oranges, golden yellows, warm browns, and even leaves that are still partly green. Long, pointed leaves can create sleek wings, while wide leaves can give your pterodactyl an enormous wingspan!
Before crafting, take a few minutes to prepare the leaves you collected. Choose leaves that are still flexible instead of completely dry and crunchy, since brittle leaves can crack or crumble while kids are working with them. Gently wipe away dirt or debris and flatten any curled leaves. You can use freshly collected leaves right away or preserve your fall leaves beforehand if you want the finished artwork to last longer.
Next, grab crayons, markers, or colored pencils and bring your printable pterodactyl to life. Kids can use earthy greens, browns, and oranges for a prehistoric look or let their imaginations take over with bright blues, purples, stripes, spots, and rainbow patterns. Since we don’t know exactly what colors these prehistoric creatures may have displayed, this is a great opportunity to let kids have fun and create a pterodactyl entirely their own.
Then comes the best part—adding the real fall leaf wings! Let kids experiment with several different leaves before reaching for the glue. Try matching leaves for symmetrical wings or choose two completely different colors and shapes for a more whimsical creature. Turn the leaves around, overlap them, and test different positions to see how dramatically they can change the appearance of the pterodactyl. Once you find the perfect pair, glue them into place and watch your prehistoric creature take flight!
This dinosaur nature craft is a fun choice for preschool and elementary-aged children, classrooms, homeschool dinosaur units, fall nature studies, or an afternoon of creative play at home. Searching for leaves encourages kids to explore outside and pay attention to the changing season, while coloring, cutting, arranging, and gluing provide practice with fine motor skills, scissor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creative thinking.
Lion 
Fairy 
Hedgehog 
Campfire 
Fall Dragon 
Fall Squirrel
And if your leaf hunt left you with a giant pile of autumn treasures, put them to good use with more fall leaf crafts for kids! Create magical Fall Leaf Fairies, a fluffy-tailed Fall Leaf Squirrel, crazy hairstyles with the Fall Leaf Hair Craft, a magnificent Fall Leaf Lion, fiery flames with the Fall Leaf Campfire, or even a fantastical Fall Leaf Dragon. The same handful of leaves can become fairy wings, animal fur, fire, hair, dragon wings, or prehistoric wings—it just takes a little imagination.
So grab your printable pterodactyl, head outside, and start searching for the most interesting leaves you can find! This Fall Leaf Pterodactyl Craft for Kids is a fun way to combine dinosaurs, autumn, nature, and art into one hands-on activity. Once those colorful leaf wings are attached, your ordinary printable is ready to soar straight out of the fall forest and into a prehistoric adventure!
Fall Leaf Pterodactyl Craft for Kids – Dinosaur Nature Art Project
Before making your Fall Leaf Pterodactyl Craft, you may want to preserve the leaves so they stay colorful and beautiful for longer. Learn several easy ways to prepare and preserve fall leaves in our guide, How to Preserve Fall Leaves for Crafts, then use them to create your pterodactyl’s large, colorful wings!
Step 1: Print the Fall Leaf Pterodactyl Template
Print the pterodactyl template on an 8.5 x 11-inch sheet of white cardstock. Cardstock gives the pterodactyl a sturdy base and helps support the real fall leaves you’ll add to create its large, colorful wings.
Step 2: Color the Pterodactyl
Before cutting, use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to color the pterodactyl. Try earthy shades of brown, tan, gray, or green, or let kids invent a bright and colorful prehistoric creature. Add spots, stripes, scales, patterns, or shading to give the pterodactyl its own unique personality!
Step 3: Cut Out the Pterodactyl
Carefully cut out the pterodactyl’s body along the outside lines. Encourage kids to use slow, small cuts and turn the paper as they work around the curves and smaller details. Younger children who are still learning to use scissors may need help from an adult.
Step 4: Glue on the Leaf Wings
Turn the pterodactyl over so its back is facing upward. Apply a small amount of Elmer’s School Glue to the back of its torso, then gently press the leaves into the glue. Arrange one leaf on each side of the body to create a large pair of wings. Hold the leaves in place for a few seconds, then set the pterodactyl aside until the glue dries completely. Once dry, the colorful fall leaves will become your pterodactyl’s one-of-a-kind wings!
How Do I Download the Fall Leaf Pterodactyl Template?
Click the button below to sign up for a free Artsy Kids Zone membership. After creating your account and signing in, return to this page and click the same button again. You’ll be taken to the Fall Downloads page, where you can access the Fall Leaf Pterodactyl Template.
Download the black and white PDF, print it on white cardstock, and start crafting! Kids can color and cut out the pterodactyl before adding real fall leaves to create its large, colorful tail.
***These printables are intended for personal and school use exclusively. Unauthorized copying, uploading, republishing, distributing or alteration of these files in any manner is strictly prohibited. If you plan to showcase these printables, please ensure to include a link back to artsykidszone.com.
3D Fairy Paper Dolls 
Dino Finger Puppets 
Pirate Paper Mask 
Orange Scented Playdough
If you enjoyed making this Fall Leaf Squirrel Craft, you’ll definitely love exploring the other creative projects on Artsy Kids Zone! Step into a little magic with the 3D Paper Fairy Dolls, create prehistoric adventures with the Dinosaur Finger Puppets, or fill your playroom with a fresh citrus scent by making Orange Scented Playdough. With printable puppets, paper crafts, sensory activities, coloring projects, and so much more, there’s always something new for kids to create and enjoy!
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