The Fall is upon us and things are changing. The leaves are falling, the weather is cooler, and squirrels are hard at work storing food for the winter. Yesterday I overheard my ever curious 4 year old asking her 6 year old sister questions related to the change. “Why are there leaves on the ground? Why is it red? What is that squirrel doing?” Upon hearing all of this questioning a light bulb went off in my head. Yes, that’s right, science lesson time!
Since it is early in the season it was harder to identify all of the changes occurring. Depending where you live you may want to wait a few more weeks before doing this activity.
We decided that we would start by collecting leaves to see what colors we could find. We took a walk around the neighborhood and collected a whole bunch of leaves.
When we got back I showed them this video. I asked the kids to identify anything in the video that happens only in the Fall.
Then we took a look at this picture. We discussed how all these things kept the leaves green. Next I told them that trees hibernate like bears. Ok, not exactly…but it gave them a good visual.
Last, we read the book Why Do Leaves Change Color? This book is a great way to reinforce what they have learned. Both girls loved the pictures in it.
As I am always saying, science should be fun. Take the kids outside and let them play in natures fabulous, ever changing playground.
Educational Connections:
Art– Draw a picture of all four seasons depicting the differences in each.
Creative Writing- Describe the Fall season in your own words. Tell what kind of activities you enjoy doing in the Fall.
