Tree ActivitiesAim:Here are a collection of activities to help children explore, investigate and appreciate the importance of trees. They cross many topics from science to maths and art to sustainability.

Find Your TreeA great activity for promoting trust in others, sight deprivation awareness, thinking of the needs and safety of others and textures and a sense of touch.

You will need: Blindfolds.

Divide the group into pairs (or threes). Tell the group that they are going to meet a tree. One member of the group is blindfolded and led by their peer(s) to a tree.

Emphasise to the children that they need to take care of the person who is blindfolded and look out and guide them round any trip hazards and uneven ground and tell them to bend down when going under low branches.

The blindfolded person uses their hands and fingers to explore the tree. What does it feel like? Is it rough or smooth? How big is the tree? Can they get their arms round the trunk? Does it have any distinguishing features (such as lichen ivy branches coming out of the trunk etc)

The blindfolded person is then led carefully away from the tree (they could be spun around to disorientate them) and their blindfold removed.

Their task is to see if they can find their tree. When they have found their tree, the pair can then swap roles and repeat

the activity.

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Adopt A Tree Choose a tree for your class to adopt (or different trees for different groups). Introduce the class to the tree at the beginning of the academic year as a

member of the class. Discuss phrenology – the study of nature’s seasonal changes throughout the

year. On the first visit to the tree, guide children to look at the tree’s different

parts very carefully eg leaf shape and colour, feel of the bark (could do bark rubbing)etc. Use identification guides as necessary.

Let the children look at the tree from far away to get its overall shape, as well as close up.

Look for evidence of animals interacting with the tree such as chewed leaves, nests or spider webs in the branches etc.

Children can draw the tree to show what the tree looks like to someone who can’t see it. Depending on ability, they can label their drawings or describe it.

Take photos of the tree (ideally from the same vantage point). This and subsequent photos will create a complete picture of the tree through the seasons.

Start each subsequent visit, by having the children look for similarities and differences between this visit and last time.

Use some of the activities and investigations below to add bring in maths and science, so the children really get to know their tree.

KS1 Measuring Trees Estimating height and measuring girth.

https://www.owlscotland.org/images/uploads/resources/files/measuringtrees1.pdf

KS2 Measuring Trees Estimating height and measuring girth and age.

https://www.owlscotland.org/images/uploads/resources/files/measuringtrees2.pdf

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How Many Leaves are There on a Tree? https://wildtimelearning.com/activity/how-many-leaves-are-there-on-a-tree

How Long Would it Take to Pick up all the Leaves? https://wildtimelearning.com/activity/how-long-would-it-take-to-pick-up-all-

the-leaves

How Does a Tree Tell the Time? https://wildtimelearning.com/activity/how-does-a-tree-tell-the-time

Leaf and Tree Identification Resources https://naturedetectives.woodlandtrust.org.uk/naturedetectives/activities/

2015/09/leaf-id/

Carbon in Trees Resources on trees and woodlands including instructions on how to calculate

the carbon in trees.https://cdn.naturalresources.wales/media/686740/activity-plan-carbon-storage-calculator.pdf

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Mean, Median, Mode of Tree TrunksYou will need: for each group of students: flexible tape measure (or string to fit round the tree trunks and match circumference to ruler); clipboard, paper and pencil; calculator.

Introduce the concept of mean, median, mode, range and circumference before going outside.

Go to an outside area with at least 5 trees. Each group of children should measure the

circumference of five trees and record each tree’s circumference in a table.

After all the trees have been measured, ask the children to calculate the mean, median, mode and range of the tree’s circumferences.

They can then graph their results. Discuss with the class why different trees

may have different size trunks based on the data collected. Include a discussion of the age of the tree, light and water requirements, growing conditions and species growth patterns.

Variation: If your site has multiple trees, groups can collect the circumference

measurements from multiple trees of the same species and graph the results

Compare the circumference measurements taken from the trees in one species.

Ask children to analyse and explain their results.

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Is The Tree Like Me? Take the children outside to a tree. Ask them

“What would it be like to be a tree? The children then lie underneath the tree,

whilst you conduct a visualising exercise, which has them imagining their toes reaching down into the cool soil to become roots; their arms reaching up toward the sun to become branches; their hair and finger tips sprouting leaves; and their body strong and straight and covered with bark.

Continue the visualisation to imagine water soaking up through their roots; carbon-dioxide coming into their leaves and releasing oxygen; birds landing on their branches; spreading their branches to create shade etc.

Then trace round the bodies of the children, onto a piece of eg lining paper, creating individual life-size images.

Children then add their face to the drawing, and then make the rest of their body look like tree: body = trunk; hands / arms = branches; hair / fingers = leaves; feet / toes = roots.

Children can draw animals on their Tree / Me image and glue fallen leaves on their branches.

Discuss with the children the similarities between our bodies and the structure of a tree. What else do people have in common with trees? (eg blood is like the sap carrying nutrients, similar needs for food, water, air etc).

Bark Rubbing Even in winter when trees have no leaves, you can

still enjoy their shape and their wonderful bark. This is a good time to take bark rubbings.

Press a sheet of thick paper against the tree and rub a wax crayon or soft charcoal over the page to produce an interesting pattern.

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The TreeYou may have many trees around your school site, they are probably familiar to everyone, but how much do you really think about these trees?

You will need: cards with the following written on them: A day in the life of a tree. A year in the life of a tree. Adventures of the tree What the tree saw? What the tree heard? Describe the tree to an alien. Describe how the tree changes.

This is a simple activity that can be used with all ages, split the children into groups, give them a card and some time with their tree.

Groups can either tell you about their tree verbally or use it as a base for writing. Encourage a variety of vocabulary and as much imagination as you wish.

Myths and Stories Behind Trees From All Over the World.https://www.booktrust.org.uk/news-and-features/features/2018/june/myths-and-stories-behind-trees-from-all-over-the-world

A Collection of Tree-inspired Activities From Around the Web.https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/tree-activities-for-kids.html

Books:The People Who Hugged the Trees: An Environmental Folk Tale by Deborah Lee Rose.

When the Maharajah's axemen try to cut down trees for his new fortress, Amrita and the villagers hug the trees in order to save them.

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The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

The book follows the lives of a female apple tree and a boy, who develop a relationship with one another. The tree is very "giving" and the boy evolves into a "taking" teenager, man, then elderly man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFQZfeHq9wo

The Lorax by Dr Seuss.

The Lorax tells the tale of a forest-dwelling creature and the greedy developer who destroys his natural environment.

The Lorax - Read Aloud Picture Book, Brightly Storytime.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdWesdMfyd4

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Websites Apply for free trees for your school.

https://www.carbonfootprint.com/tree_application.html

The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network is a UK-wide citizen science initiative:https://www.opalexplorenature.org/tree-activities-children

Free Tree Packshttps://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/act/your-school/plant-trees-with-your-school/

Green Tree Schools Awardhttps://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/act/your-school/green-tree-schools-award/

STEM Education Pack: Trees - Vital Statistics, Describing and Measuring Trees.https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/34120/education-pack-trees-vital-statistics-describing-and-measuring

Story books about plants and growing (search for KS1 or KS2).https://www.booksfortopics.com/plants-ks2

Storybooks about treeshttps://www.longleaflumber.com/the-top-15-childrens-books-about-trees

Trees and Woodlands - lots of resources and activities.https://naturalresources.wales/guidance-and-advice/business-sectors/education-learning-and-skills/looking-for-learning-resources/learning-resources-search-by-topic/trees-and-woodlands/?lang=en

Woodland Trust – Free resources and activities.http://treetoolsforschools.org.uk/

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