Leaf Activities

Leaf Activities

Leaf Concentration (Memory Game)

Photocopy leaf shapes or glue real leaves onto cards and laminate them. Play a game of concentration. Place the cards face down on the table. Turn over two cards and try to match the leaf shapes. Replace the cards face down if they do not match. Each child takes turns until all of the cards are gone. The child with the most pairs wins.

Leaf Pattern Strips

Make leaf shapes out of different colored paper. Have the children put the leaves onto strips of paper making a repeating pattern. Have the children trace around the outside of the leaves and make their own patterns to color.

The Tree Hotel

Materials:

  • Poster or painting of a tree
  • Pictures of animals
  • Velcro

Discuss with the children how trees have different levels just like apartment buildings. They have a basement, a first floor, and a top floor. Different animals and plants like to live at different levels in the tree.

Have the children attach animals and plants to the different levels.
Basement: Chipmunk, Worm, Sow bug
First floor: Woodpecker, Raccoon, Cicada
Top floor: Squirrel, Robin, Hawk

Counting Leaves

Place a white tablecloth under the branches of a tree and anchor the cloth with rocks. Visit the tree on a daily basis and count the number of leaves that have fallen from the tree onto the tablecloth. Count and categorize the other items landing on the tablecloth. Describe the shape, color, smell, and texture of the items

Counting Pine Cones

Make a collection of pine cones. Have the children classify the pine cones by shape and size. Place them in order from largest to smallest.

Puzzles

Laminate pictures of woodland scenes glued onto poster board.
Cut these to make puzzles for the children to put together.

Activities provided by:

Story County Conservation Board
Nature Boxes for Early Childhood Educators
Debbi Williams
56461 180th St.
Ames, IA 50010
Story County Conservation