Find an activity
Back to ideas

Make · Wild and Tumble activity

Leafy jar lanterns

A warm glow for dark evenings. Cover a jar with leaves and light it up with a battery tealight.

  • 20 min total
  • Some mess
  • Ages 3–5*
  • Indoors
  • Autumn and winter
Let's do this

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 4 min to prepare · 12 min to make · 4 min to tidy. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • A clean plastic jar or tub
  • Thin, colourful leaves, or tissue paper
  • PVA glue mixed with a little water, and a brush
  • A battery tealight

Let's begin

Five simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Little one leads

    Your child brushes glue onto a small area of the jar.

  2. Press a leaf on, then brush a little glue over the top.

  3. Keep going until the jar is covered.

  4. Leave it to dry.

  5. Pop the tealight inside, turn off the lights and watch it glow.

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

If you enjoyed this

More little ideas like this.

All activities