God’s Splendor on Display

A Fall Craft and Short Lesson to Share God’s Handiwork

When I think of Fall, I think of the beautiful colored leaves that God exquisitely paints across tree-lined streets and hilled landscapes. We’ve been blessed to live near changing leaves many times. I don’t believe an artist can quite capture the beauty that God creates in the picturesque colors of transforming leaves. As you witness the transformation of the trees in your area, take this time to explain to your children more about why the leaves change color and appreciation for their Creator.

Why Leaves Change Color

Explain to your child that during the Spring and Summer, God created trees to be able to make their own food to fuel their growth using sunlight, carbon dioxide (in the air), and water. The chemical that God places inside of plants that allows the food making is called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what gives leaves and plants their green color. During the Spring and Summer, we only see the green color, but it also includes orange and yellow pigments that are overpowered by huge amounts of green coloring. In the Fall, as our earth is exposed to less sunlight as the earth rotates further away from the Sun and begins to cool because of the further distance from the sun, this signals to the tree that it will be getting too cold for it to continue producing food. The chlorophyll inside the tree begins to break down and the green color disappears, which reveals the orange and yellow colors. Reds and purples sometimes also appear due to some other chemical processes taking place within the tree.

In addition to changing colors, the place where the stems it attached to the leaf puts out special layers of cells gradually until it seals off the tree to protect it from the approaching frigid temperatures. This results in the leaf being blown off the tree by the wind. Temperature, light and water supply have an impact on the degree and duration of the colors in the Fall leaves. Early frosts usually weaken the brilliant red colors. More rain will increase the intensity of the colors your view.

As you explain to your children the supernatural process involved in coloring the trees, talk about the majesty of the Creator. Isn’t it amazing that God allows all of this to happen inside of the plant? God did not have to give us the beauty of the trees as they prepare for Winter. But, the reality of the fact that He does allow us to witness this beauty reminds us that He is a GOOD God. Talk about how God provides everything the tree needs to live and protect itself. Remind your child that God will also provide what we truly need to live and protect ourselves. Remind your child that God is sovereign!

He truly has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Instructions for Fall Leaf Chalk Pastels

Print out a leaf template and cut it out.  Tape down the template onto black construction paper.  Using Fall colors, draw around your template with chalk pastels, using thick strokes and repeating the strokes on top of one another to create a thick border. 

Using your finder or a Q-tip, smudge around the leaf template in an outward motion.  Once you are finished, go outside and remove the leaf template and shake off any excess pastel dust.  If any of the dust gathered inside the black area where the leaf shape should be, clear up the excess using a wet Q-tip. 

Print out the text of Ecclesiastes 3:11 onto paper and cut it out.  Attach the Scripture inside of the leaf shape using glue.