I love teaching children about nature. There is so much to learn about from the great outdoors! The fresh air, the abundance of nooks and crannies to explore - who needs toys and TV when you have a backyard full of wonders! One of my favorite activities to do with kids, especially the younger ones, is to do a little leaf exploration. Who new that here was so much more to a leaf!

Lesson Plan: All About My Leaf

This lesson/activity is a great way to introduce children to science, it also teaches them to appreciate nature and find beauty in the small things. Plan the lesson as follows:

Pick a nice and sunny day for an outdoor excursion.
Round up the kids and head outdoors in search for a variety of leaves. Let them each choose only one that they find interesting, or pretty.
Once they have their "treasure", head back indoors.
Sit around in a group and let each child show their fellow classmates the leaf they chose and ask them to give a brief description of it. You can ask them why they chose that particular leaf too.
You can then hand out worksheets, like the one below, for the students to complete. This worksheet encourages them to study the leaf and all of its fine details.
End off with a story about leaves. My recommendation is Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson

The kids will love this casual lesson and without really knowing it, they are not only learning something new, but they developing their observation skills too! This could also be an introductory lesson into the science of leaves and how they work

You don't have to be a teacher to do this fun activity, if you are looking for something to keep the kids busy over the holidays, or even looking for a party activity, then give leaf exploration a go. Let the little guys enjoy the fresh air and get to know their natural surroundings a little better!