EHS Trees and Leaves

Changes to Environment

Pictures of trees

Real leaves

Fake leaves

Tree bark

Sticks

Child rake

Child shovel

Gloves

Books about trees and leaves

Red, green, yellow, orange, and brown Paper, Markers, Playdough, felt, tissue paper, etc

Leaf and tree cookie cutters

Leaf and tree stamps

Tree puppet

Leaf puppet

Plastic Apples, Oranges, Bananas, etc (different things that grow on trees).

Tree magazines

Leaf or tree file folder game

Water Table: brown water, fake leaves or laminated construction paper leaves, small buckets, rakes, etc. 

Sensory Table: grass, crinkle grass, dirt, leaves, twigs, rakes, shovels, small buckets, etc.

Teaching Concepts for Indoor Experiences

1. Look at pictures of different trees during the different seasons. Talk about the leaves changing colors and why they fall off the trees.

2. Talk about the different things that grow on trees and show pictures.

3. Look a pictures of things that live in trees

4.  Look at different things made from trees (touch and feel box)

5. Talk about why trees are so important

6. Leaf graphing

7. Talk about different types of leaves and show pictures

Teaching Concepts for Small Groups

1. Leaf rubbings

2.  Finger-paint a forest with orange, brown, green, yellow, or red

3.  Leaf collage

4.  Leaf stamps

5.  Glue leaves on paper to make a leaf person

6.  Sort leaves by color, make patterns, etc.

7.  Look at tree bark and leaves through magnifying glass

10. Leaf Color Sequence

Silk leaves from the dollar store come in lots of different colors. Invite your preschooler to put them in order from lightest to darkest, or from red to brown.

Teaching Concepts for Outdoor Experiences

1. Jump into a pile of leaves

2. Leaf hide and seek

3. Ring Around The Tree (tune: Ring Around the Roses)

Ring around the trees

Pretty autumn trees

Red leaves, orange leaves

They all fall down

4. Yellow leaf, yellow leaf

yellow leaf, yellow leaf

twirling ’round and ’round

yellow leaf, yellow leaf

falling to the ground

orange leaf, orange leaf

twirling ’round and ’round

orange leaf, orange leaf

falling to the ground

(continue with different colors for leaves)

Teaching Concepts for Music Movement Wellness IMIL

1. Autumn Leaves (tune: London Bridge)

Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down,

Autumn leaves are falling down, welcome Autumn.

Sweep the leaves and put them here, put them put here, put them here,

Sweep the leaves and put them here, welcome Autumn.

Jump right in and have some fun, have some fun, have some fun,

Jump right in and have some fun, welcome autumn

2.The Apple Tree

Here is the apple tree with leaves so green. (forearms together, elbows to wrists, fingers spread)

Here are the apples that hang in between. (make hands into fists for apples)

When the wind blows,  (wave arms in the wind and let apples fall suddenly)

the apples will fall.

Let’s use a basket and gather them all.  (make a basket with both hands, fingers interlocked)

3. Rake the Leaves

(Act out as you say it)

I like to rake the leaves

Into a great big hump

Take two steps back

Bend my knees and JUMP!

4. Sway like a tree to the music

5. Pretend to climb a tree, this will exercise your arms and legs

6. Tree Song (tune: Head,Shoulders, Knees and Toes)

Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (and roots)

Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (and roots)

Trees are important to you and to me

Leaves, branches, trunk and roots (and roots)

(Movements: Hands and fingers are the leaves – wiggle high in the air, move arms straight out for the branches, touch upper body with hands when saying ”trunk”, touch legs when saying “roots” (bend down again and touch legs again when saying ”and roots”)

7. I’m A Tall, Tall Tree

This is my trunk, (point to body)

I’m a tall, tall tree, (hold arms up like branches)

In the springtime, the blossoms, (make fists)

Cover me.

They open, they open. (Open fingers)

This is my trunk, (point to body)

I’m a tall, tall tree, (hold arms up like branches)

In the summer, the breezes blow through me. (raise arms and wave them back and forth)

I bend, I bend. (sway back and forth)

This is my trunk, (point to body)

I’m a tall, tall tree, (hold arms up like branches)

In the autumn, the apples form on me. (form circles with thumbs and index fingers)

They drop, they drop. (clap hands)

This is my trunk, (point to body)

I’m a tall, tall tree, (hold arms up like branches)

In the winter, the snowflakes land on me. (flutter fingers down)

Brrr! Brrr! (hug self and shiver)

7. Autumn-time  is Coming

Red leaves falling
Red leaves falling
On the ground
On the ground
Autumn-time is coming
Autumn-time is coming
All around
All around

Orange leaves falling
Orange leaves falling
On the ground
On the ground
Autumn-time is coming
Autumn-time is coming
All around
All around

Brown leaves scattered
Brown leaves scattered
On the ground
On the ground
Autumn-time is now here
Autumn-time is now here
All around
All around

Teaching Concepts for Fingerplays

1. The Leaves on the Trees (tune: Wheels on the Bus)

The leaves on the trees turn orange and brown, orange and brown, orange and brown.

The leaves on the trees turn orange and brown, all through the town.

The leaves on the trees come tumbling down, tumbling down, tumbling down.

The leaves on the trees coming tumbling down, all through the town.

The leaves on the ground go swish, swish, swish. Swish, swish, swish. Swish, swish, swish.

The leaves on the ground go swish, swish, swish, all through the town

2. Leaf

One for me and one for you. (point toward yourself then at a friend.)

3. 5 Little Tree’s

5 little trees swaying side to side (hold up 5 fingers)

One snuck off and tried to hide

4 little trees dancing in the breeze

One got upset as he started to sneeze

3 little trees started to shake

One tree said I’m freezing for goodness sake

2 little trees glowing in the sun

One tree left then there was one.

1 little tree standing all alone

Said goodbye and went on home.

4.  5 little leaves

Five little leaves on the tree next door,

One fell off and then there were four,

Four little leaves all over the tree,

A bird pulled off one and then there were three,

Three little leaves where the wind blew,

One fell off and then there were two,

Two little leaves sitting in the sun,

A bug ate a leaf and now there is one,

One little leaf in the tree all alone

The wind blew and blew and now there are none!

5. Leaves Are Floating Down

Leaves are floating softly down (Flutter fingers)

They make a carpet on the ground (Spread hands apart)

Then swish!  The wind comes whirling by (Bring hands around fast)

And sends them dancing in the sky (Flutter fingers upwards)

6. I See the Wind

I see the wind when the leaves dance by. (dance hands around)

I see the wind when the trees wave “Hi!”  (wave hand)

I see the wind when the kites fly by. (raise arms high)

I see the wind when the clouds float up high. (wave hand gently)

I see the wind when it blows my hair. (lift hair with hands)

I see the wind ‘most everywhere! (hold hands out, palms up)