Games
Tree Nutrient Competition:
From either Project Learning Tree or Project Wild, this game teaches kids what plants need to grow and what happens when trees have to compete for resources.
1. Begin by spreading the kids out, have them imagine they are trees with their roots (feet) planted firmly in the ground. They cannot move their feet in this game.
2. Use colored toothpicks, popsicle sticks or something else small that you have at least 3 colors of to represent the nutrients (sunlight, water, soil) Ask kids first if they can identify the 3 things plants need in order to grow.
3. Sprinkle these on the floor. Be sure to put some of them close to the kids on some of them too far away to reach.
4. Challenge the kids to gather as many resources as they can, WITHOUT moving their feet or touching their knees or butt to the ground. If you have very fidgety kids you could probably use something like a small mat or hula hoops to help the kids conscious of when they move their feet.
5. Repeat activity with all the kids bunched up back to back (and overcrowded forest). What effect does that have on gathering nutrients? Was each child still able to acquire a substantial amount of each resource?
5. If you want to talk about invasive species and tree diseases, you can add a 4th color to the mix without telling kids what it is first. After they have collected, tell them this color represents disease.
From either Project Learning Tree or Project Wild, this game teaches kids what plants need to grow and what happens when trees have to compete for resources.1. Begin by spreading the kids out, have them imagine they are trees with their roots (feet) planted firmly in the ground. They cannot move their feet in this game.
2. Use colored toothpicks, popsicle sticks or something else small that you have at least 3 colors of to represent the nutrients (sunlight, water, soil) Ask kids first if they can identify the 3 things plants need in order to grow.
3. Sprinkle these on the floor. Be sure to put some of them close to the kids on some of them too far away to reach.
4. Challenge the kids to gather as many resources as they can, WITHOUT moving their feet or touching their knees or butt to the ground. If you have very fidgety kids you could probably use something like a small mat or hula hoops to help the kids conscious of when they move their feet.
5. Repeat activity with all the kids bunched up back to back (and overcrowded forest). What effect does that have on gathering nutrients? Was each child still able to acquire a substantial amount of each resource?
5. If you want to talk about invasive species and tree diseases, you can add a 4th color to the mix without telling kids what it is first. After they have collected, tell them this color represents disease.
Tree Simon Says:
This was a simple on the spot game that stemmed from a quick physical activity to teach kids the parts of the plants and how it grows.
-Everyone starts as a seed, curled up in a ball
-spread your legs out on the ground, the roots begin to grow
-slowly raise your body to represent the steam
-as you get closer to standing up grow a shoot with your arm and then a leaf by opening your hand
After a request to play something different like tag, I changed this to a simon says game (be a seed, grow some roots, sprout a leaf...)
Forest Food Web:
Another simple prep, create forest animal nametags (deer, hawk, worm, etc) on index cards and attach string to each so that they can hang on childrens' necks. Talk about food chains, pyramids, and webs and ask the kids what they think the system most resembles. Is is a single on-way chain? Is it a back-and-forth web? Use a ball of yarn to help document the journey from animal to animal, having each kid hold on to a piece of the yarn to help make the web. Sometimes the yarn might get passed back to the same person (usually lower on the food chain) many times, some might only receive it once.
Another simple prep, create forest animal nametags (deer, hawk, worm, etc) on index cards and attach string to each so that they can hang on childrens' necks. Talk about food chains, pyramids, and webs and ask the kids what they think the system most resembles. Is is a single on-way chain? Is it a back-and-forth web? Use a ball of yarn to help document the journey from animal to animal, having each kid hold on to a piece of the yarn to help make the web. Sometimes the yarn might get passed back to the same person (usually lower on the food chain) many times, some might only receive it once.
Buck, Buck, Moose:
This card game has no science education to it, except that you can tie in conversations about moose and rangers (forest rangers help protect forest animals). It's basically a mash-up game between duck, duck, goose and hands down. My very young kids absolutely love it, and it's a good color matching game.
Activities With Leaves
Leaf Rub:
Depending on the season you do this, you might be able to use real leaves. Otherwise there are places you can buy leaf plates which just work just as well or better and is what I used. You place the raised side of the leaf under the paper (if using a real leaf, this is usually the side you can see the veins). Crayons work best, rub slowly and on an angle.
I had a leaf ID poster out so kids could identify the types of leaves they were making.
Depending on the season you do this, you might be able to use real leaves. Otherwise there are places you can buy leaf plates which just work just as well or better and is what I used. You place the raised side of the leaf under the paper (if using a real leaf, this is usually the side you can see the veins). Crayons work best, rub slowly and on an angle.
I had a leaf ID poster out so kids could identify the types of leaves they were making.
Microscope:
If you have microscopes, putting a leaf under is always a big hit. At the time, all we had was a very very cheap children's microscope, but young children (especially my city kids who barely know what a microscope is) will be fascinated by it.
If you have microscopes, putting a leaf under is always a big hit. At the time, all we had was a very very cheap children's microscope, but young children (especially my city kids who barely know what a microscope is) will be fascinated by it.
Bark Activities
Touch and Feel:
I had a couple show and tell items including a large piece of bark. Talk about the texture and how it relates to the purpose of bark on a tree.
I had a couple show and tell items including a large piece of bark. Talk about the texture and how it relates to the purpose of bark on a tree.
Tree Rings:
Tree rings represent the age of the tree. Have kids draw their own tree rings, that is, if they were a tree how many rings would the have? (the equivalent to their age) Let them use creativity to color code their rings. For example maybe something memorable happened when they were 6 years old- a special birthday, new school, etc. They can choose different colors to represent special milestones. Also, the spacing of rings is important. Trees with rings spread apart means a lot of growth each year. Encourage kids to think about growth spurts they may have had, and illustrate that on their drawing. I used paper and pre-traced the tree diameter for them. I prefer using paper plates.
Tree rings represent the age of the tree. Have kids draw their own tree rings, that is, if they were a tree how many rings would the have? (the equivalent to their age) Let them use creativity to color code their rings. For example maybe something memorable happened when they were 6 years old- a special birthday, new school, etc. They can choose different colors to represent special milestones. Also, the spacing of rings is important. Trees with rings spread apart means a lot of growth each year. Encourage kids to think about growth spurts they may have had, and illustrate that on their drawing. I used paper and pre-traced the tree diameter for them. I prefer using paper plates.
Seeds
Touch and Feel:
Again, I had some show and tell items, including an incredibly large pine cone and a walnut seed. I also had great visuals to show the different types of seed and methods of dispersal.
Planting:
One day we had an opportunity to plant our own seeds. We created a recording of each flower type every kid planted, so that when the flowers bloom we can remember which ones they are. (Also to help figure out why certain ones might not be growing, i.e. all of one specific seed aren't growing) We planted many on March 10, as of now (March 22) none have begun sprouting. Be mindful of how old your seeds are, I believe the seeds we used are all way too old and the main problem. We also don't get good natural light in this room and I have been struggling to decide how much artificial light is necessary. Lastly the room we have these in is always very dry and humid.
One day we had an opportunity to plant our own seeds. We created a recording of each flower type every kid planted, so that when the flowers bloom we can remember which ones they are. (Also to help figure out why certain ones might not be growing, i.e. all of one specific seed aren't growing) We planted many on March 10, as of now (March 22) none have begun sprouting. Be mindful of how old your seeds are, I believe the seeds we used are all way too old and the main problem. We also don't get good natural light in this room and I have been struggling to decide how much artificial light is necessary. Lastly the room we have these in is always very dry and humid.
Miscellaneous Forest & Plant Activities
Books About Trees and Gardening:
We utilized a lot of great visuals, posters, and books to learn about the parts of the plant, growing plants and vegetables, and forest and maple sugaring. One of the most helpful items was this interactive activity book, you can use dry-erase marker on the pages. Some pages teach the concepts, other pages reinforce be requiring matching, circling, or numbering. My kids love this book, some now know it inside and out and enjoy taking on the teacher role with other kids!
Maple Sugaring:
It is maple syrup season here on the east coast! I've been running many in-school maple sugaring programs at the park. My after-school kids were going to have a field trip on a half-day to do the maple sugaring class, but do to rain I modified it inside.
-telling a story/legend about the discovery of sap by Native Americans
-tasting sap
-teaching about how and when trees make sap, which trees are the only which the sap produces maple syrup (Sugar Maple)
-how sap is collected and show the tools used through time (wood bucket and spile, metal bucket with lid and spile, plastic tubbing, brace and bit) and how the sap turns into syrup
-real maple syrup vs store syrup taste test
Colored Carnations:
Making a Forest:
After discussing what forest is and the animals that live there, we made our own forest. On day 1 we traced our hands and arms to make the tree trunk and branches. Make sure to spread fingers out as much as possible to really make it look like a tree. The next day we added leaves.
We utilized a lot of great visuals, posters, and books to learn about the parts of the plant, growing plants and vegetables, and forest and maple sugaring. One of the most helpful items was this interactive activity book, you can use dry-erase marker on the pages. Some pages teach the concepts, other pages reinforce be requiring matching, circling, or numbering. My kids love this book, some now know it inside and out and enjoy taking on the teacher role with other kids!
Maple Sugaring:
It is maple syrup season here on the east coast! I've been running many in-school maple sugaring programs at the park. My after-school kids were going to have a field trip on a half-day to do the maple sugaring class, but do to rain I modified it inside.-telling a story/legend about the discovery of sap by Native Americans
-tasting sap
-teaching about how and when trees make sap, which trees are the only which the sap produces maple syrup (Sugar Maple)
-how sap is collected and show the tools used through time (wood bucket and spile, metal bucket with lid and spile, plastic tubbing, brace and bit) and how the sap turns into syrup
-real maple syrup vs store syrup taste test
Colored Carnations:
Teach kids where water travels through the plant by taking white carnations and placing in colored water. Put a few drops of food coloring and change water frequently as you would any other vase of flowers. As I kid I did this many times, including for a science fair competition and it worked GREAT. I'm a little disappointed in ours, you could still see the changes and kid thought it was amazing, especially in the yellow flower- however our red flower did not change at all. I introduced the concept of acting like a scientist and the steps of a science lab. We made a hypothesis, or prediction, on what would happen to the flowers.
Making a Forest:
After discussing what forest is and the animals that live there, we made our own forest. On day 1 we traced our hands and arms to make the tree trunk and branches. Make sure to spread fingers out as much as possible to really make it look like a tree. The next day we added leaves.
Clovers:
To celebrate St. Patrick's Day we made clover prints. Take 3 wine corks and glue together (I recommend hot glue). Use it like a stamp and just add stems with a paint brush!
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