September marks the start of autumn, which lasts 3 months and brings with it a stunning transition. Green leaves we’ve seen on trees over the summer will gradually change to autumn colours like brown, copper, yellow, beige and even shades of red and purple. This dramatic season of change is a wonderful opportunity to draw children’s attention to the incredible spectacle that takes place every year at this time — as well as to the wonders of nature more generally. Let’s not forget that nature is incredibly good for little ones too, so inspiring them to take an interest in spending time around nature will be beneficial to children in a myriad of ways. With that in mind, today’s post includes the release of a free ‘leaves’ reference poster for families to print out and use as the starting point for one or more nature/autumn-themed children’s activities.
Download the Free Leaves Identification Poster for Your Child
Click the preview image below to view or save the poster in Acrobat Reader format. (Whether you need to right or left click to save the poster file depends on your device’s specific set-up, so perhaps try both if you’re not sure).
The leaf poster is designed both to be educational and get little ones interested in nature, which is so good for children. It will also encourage them to get outdoors to breathe the fresh air, exercise, enjoy some freedom (under supervision, of course) and experience some of the simple, though beneficial, things that life has to offer away from electronic screens and the limitations of being indoors. Nature and outdoor play are a powerful duo when it comes to benefiting children, giving them boundless opportunities for exploration, discovery, creativity, and more. Follow the bold links to learn more about such benefits.
Leaf Activity Examples
Examples of ways children can use the reference poster and the leaves that they find:
- Children can use the poster in tandem with outdoor walks in parks and open spaces. They can learn to recognise the different leaves and the trees that they come from while fostering a greater appreciation of nature and its benefits.
The reference may inspire them to see for themselves how leaves and trees dramatically change over this part of the year — the changing colours and landscapes during autumn are a wondrous spectacle!- Children may alternatively like to keep it simple and just collect interesting leaves and see how many different types they can find.
- Parents/carers could challenge children to find specific leaf types, like a leaf treasure hunt.
- Individual leaves can be ‘pressed’ and dried in a suitable book or between paper that’s weighted down.
- Particularly once dried and flattened, leaves can be painted with colours, or used as part of a collage design of some kind. Dried leaves are a wonderful inspiration to let children get creative.
- Leaf rubbing is great fun and very effective – place a leaf under thin paper and then scribble on the paper to reveal the features of the underlying leaf.
- Leaf printing is also easy and results are impressive – simply roll or paint one side of the leaf and press it against paper to get a leaf imprint.
Want to Take Tree & Leaf Identification Further? Get the App!
The Woodland Trust supply an excellent free smartphone app, suitable for children from 4 years of age, for iPhone and Android. Called “British Tree Identification” it will teach children and adults alike a huge amount about tree and leaf identification, features to look out for, and much more. Learn more and download the tree identification app here.
Other Free Nature Posters for Children
Other free nature-related posters available from this Little Cedars nursery website include posters for British Birds, Minibeasts, Butterflies and an Autumn Treasure Hunt. Follow the links for more more information and to download them free.
A First-Class Childcare Service in Streatham, SW16
We know how important nature and outdoor play are to children, especially those under five, and that’s one of the reasons we release nature-themed posters, identification sheets, and activity ideas for little ones here. Children at Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham also benefit from our close proximity to Tooting Common where families and under-fives can enjoy nature and natural open spaces locally. Children attending the childcare nursery itself are also able to benefit from their very own planting area at the setting where they can grow vegetables. It’s both fun and incredibly educational.
Get in touch today to learn more about a place for your child at our Streatham nursery:
Little Cedars Nursery may suit families looking for high-quality childcare for babies and under-fives in Streatham as well as those nearby in Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.
Safety notice
Children should, of course, be supervised appropriately when playing and exploring outdoors. Particular care should be taken around water, hazards, traffic, the dangers of stranger danger, and anything potentially harmful including poisonous berries, sharp spines, thorns, etc. See our outdoor safety tips for children here.
