Currently Reading:
Red Leaf, Yellow by Lois Ehlert follows the life of a sugar maple tree. Made with watercolor collage and parts of plants, this vibrant book is perfect for fall! A special glossary at the end of the story can extend learning for curious readers, and there is even a “Make a bird treat” activity on the back jacket.
Extension Activity: Make a learning tree!
With winter around the corner and days getting colder, here is a fun indoor activity to try! Not only is it fun to do, but it is also fun to make. Little helpers can assist in cutting out the pieces and will enjoy “building” the tree.
For this activity, you will need brown construction paper (cut into strips), painters tape, scissors, and various leaf cutouts.
Once you have cut out the strips and leaves, you can choose a subject (colors, opposites, etc.) and then write them on both the leaves and the “branches” of the tree.
Note: Do not write on every strip of brown paper as not all will be turned into branches.
Since the book read this week was Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf I chose to do my learning tree with colors, but other options are also perfectly acceptable! This activity can have a LOT of variations, and if you are trying to teach lower and upper case letters you can write the lower case letter on the branch and upper case on the leaf to match with.
If you are doing opposites, write one of the opposites on the leaf and the other on the branch.
Making the Tree:
1.) Put rolled pieces of painter’s tape on the strips of brown paper
2.) Layer the papers on a flat surface (I used a blank wall)
3.) Create the branches by angeling the paper away from the trunk
Pro tip: Wait until you’ve made your tree before writing your learning activity on the branches. If you want to switch out categories, just take off the branches with the writing and switch out your leaves. You can also use a pencil to write in so that you don’t have to cut out more leaves.