First, take your child(ren) outside in an area where there are lots of trees - and the more variety of trees the better! (Perhaps a trip to the cemetery is in order...hint, hint.) Then, collect leaves! You're going to want leaves that aren't yet too dry; leaves with a little more moisture still in them will lay flat better when you get to the gluing stage.
Next, get a larger sheet of construction paper or even a posterboard. I used a piece of brown construction paper and cut out a simple tree trunk shape. Remove the stems from the leaves. Use a gluestick to glue the leaves onto the top of the tree trunk any way you want. These steps are so simple that even a preschooler can do it!
Next, I printed out little family photos and we glued them right on top of the leaves. We included immediate family plus grandparents and aunts and uncles, but you could also just do the maternal or paternal side or direct ancestors. It's really up to you and your kids!
©2019 Emily Kowalski Schroeder