Autumn Fun – Learning with Leaves

by Amy M. O’Quinn

Autumn is just around the corner, and soon there will be a noticeable nip in the air, shorter days, and much cooler nights as the earth makes its transition from summer to winter. And one of the most delightful changes of this season is when the leaves on the treesturn from green to hues of scarlet, gold, yellow and brown. What a perfect opportunity to enjoy some ‘nature study’ together as a family!

Leaf Identification

Recently I did a review of Fran Hawk’s wonderful picture book, Countdown to Fall (published by Sylvan Dell), right here on the NWFCC, and it made me wonder. How many trees and leaves can I identify? How many can you identify? Why not use this time to find out? Grab a good tree identification guide off the shelf or from the library, round up the kids, and set out for a park, a nature trail or the woods on a fun mission as ‘leaf’ detectives! Can you match the leaves to the correct trees? How many colors and shapes of leaves did you find? How many types? While you’re at it, collect some of those leaves to use for some great projects.

Leaf Art

Once you have gathered some colorful leaves during your identification excursion, the ‘art part’ can begin. Here are some ideas that children are sure to love:

1. Leaf Rubbings – Place a leaf under a piece of paper, and rub over the top with a crayon. The shape and texture of the leaf will appear. Label the type of leaf for each rubbing and compare.

2. Leaf People – Glue the leaf on a sheet of paper as the ‘body’ and add a head, legs, and arms to create a leaf ‘person’.

3. Paint Spatters – Lay leaves on a large sheet of paper. Flick tempera paint from a toothbrush over the leaves by running fingers up and down the bristles. After the paint begins to dry, lift the leaves from the paper to the see the remaining outline. Experiment with different colors.

Leaf Preservation

Preserving the colors of fall leaves for further enjoyment is easy! Here are three ideas:

1. Wax Paper Pressing – Choose a ‘fresh’ colorful leaf and lay it between two layers of wax paper (with plenty of room to trim around the leaf.) Lay a thin towel over the wax paper and press with a medium hot iron to seal the leaf inside. Of course, adult supervision and caution is necessary. Carefully trim around the leaf with scissors and label. Press several different types of leaves. You can save these in a notebook or folder—or you can attach them to a window as sun catchers. Or why not make a mobile? The possibilities are endless!

2. Glycerin Preservation – Allowing fresh autumn leaves to absorb glycerin will help them to keep their color indefinitely. Mix a solution of two parts water with one part liquid glycerin (available at most drugstores). Crush the stem ends of the leaves with a hammer so the leaf can absorb the glycerin, then stand the leaves in the glycerin mixture for several days. Afterwards, wipe the leaves with a soft cloth to remove excess moisture.

3. Dry Pressing – Of course, the old tried and true method of preserving leaves is to press them. Pressing is best for smaller leaves or for ones that tend to be more naturally flat.

Begin with a thick layer of newspaper. Cover it with a paper towel before laying the chosen leaves on top. Cover with another layer of paper towel and more newspaper. Top the stack with a heavy book and leave it in a warm, dry place for several weeks. The only drawback to this method is that the leaves tend to be very brittle, so handle with care.

Math /Science/Language Arts

Why not use the leaves to expand thinking skills just a bit? Here are some suggestions:

1. Graphing - Have the children sort the collected leaves by color and make a graph of their findings. You can make a simple graph yourself or download one at
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/worksheets/leafgraph.pdf.

2. Measurement/Estimation – Younger children can use cubes or paper clips to measure the length and width of the leaves while older children can use a ruler to compare the sizes. These findings can also be graphed. Place the leaves in a large container and have the children guess how many leaves there are. Then count to find out.

3. Sorting – How many ways can the leaves be sorted? By color, shape, size, texture? Have the children brainstorm how the leaves are alike or different.

4. Writing – Make up poems, riddles, or stories about leaves and trees—or just about autumn in general.

5. Other Questions/Activities – Why do leaves change colors? Find out. What is photosynthesis? Make a chart outlining the life cycle of a leaf.

Some Great Books/Resources

Look What I Did With A Leaf by Morteza E. Sohi

Trees, Leaves & Bark (Take-Along Guide) by Diane Burns

Why Do Leaves Change Colors? by Betsy Maestro

I Am A Leaf by Jean Marzollo

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlart

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlart

It’s Fall by Linda Glaser

When Autumn Comes by Robert Maass

Look How It Changes by June Young

Tree Finder: A Manual for the Identification of Trees by Their Leaves by May T. Watts

How Leaves Change by Sylvia A. Johnson

When Autumn Falls by Kelli Nidey

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Amy M. O’Quinn is a pastor’s wife and former schoolteacher turned homeschool mom of six. She is also a freelance writer who enjoys jotting down ideas around the fringes of family life. She specializes in non-fiction, and her work has been published or acquired by various magazines including Jack and Jill, US Kids, Guideposts for Kids, Learning Through History Magazine, Highlights, GEORGIA Magazine, Homeschooling Today, International Gymnast, etc. She is also a product/curriculum/book reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and a regular columnist for TEACH Magazine. The O’Quinns live on the family farm in rural south Georgia. You can visit Amy at amyoquinn.comor www.homeschoolblogger.com/picketfencemom.