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My favorite activity, of all time, is taking walks on the trails with my family. I love being out in nature, getting some exercise, and sometimes just being silent. Lately, my son has taken to running the trails with me. We run ahead while Marshall has May in the Ergo. These are my favorite memories.
“Just you and me, Mom,” he says.
This is our road, not the trails, but the colors of fall are just as beautiful!
There are some beautiful wooded trails near our house that we like to frequent at least every other weekend. There are many to choose from and we usually just do a two mile loop. The other day, on the way back, my son was done “running,” and we decided to begin leaf collecting.
It was nostalgic, talking about each leaf, pointing out the colors, their differences, and the sounds they made under our feet. I remember spending hours finding the perfect leaves when I was a child.
We started with oak leaves. Then I noticed that there are rounded lobed oak leaves (white) and pointed lobed oak leaves (red). I really didn’t know what their specific names were until I looked it up when we got home. We also noticed the differences in the big and small maple leaves. I wanted to be teaching him the correct names! We kept collecting, as I sounded off names like “beech, birch, and elm,” without being sure of their exact specifications.
I knew I had to make some printables to sort out our leaves at home. I didn’t realize how many cards I would need to make — I made 30 cards, and many of them weren’t needed. But they may be someday! And I can always make more too. :)
We got him ready on the floor and sorted our leaf collection according to each card. John loved it.
Sorting his leaves! He was really understanding the concept of sorting! I had to explain that we aren’t necessarily following the colors, but instead sorting by shape of the leaves.
I laminated mine, but you certainly don’t have to. You could also print these off on a smaller scale (at four per page) and punch a hole in the corner and put a ring binder on these to take with you for leaf hunting with your own little botanist.
Disclaimer: I am not a botanist — I hope that these leaf identification cards are correct, but I am human. Please let me know if you see an error and I will try to correct it! :) Also, if you have a special leaf request, please let me know and I can try to make a card for you :)
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You can download the free Set of 30 Leaf Identification Cards here!
Happy fall,
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I’d love for you to share your Leaf Activity on our After School Linky Party. This is a terrific activity for children of all ages. Can’t wait to print mine off for my kids. Thanks!
Kim @ The Educators’ Spin On It recently posted…Spider Activities {After School Linky Party}
I’m not a botanist either, but your hard maple looks like a Sugar Maple http://www.123rf.com/photo_1906322_yellow-sugar-maple-leaf-against-white-background.html and you Tulip, I believe is actually called a Tulip Popular http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Kentucky/tree_tulip_poplar.html.
Thanks, Jennifer :) Yes, it is hard to decipher — it seems to me that the Hard and Sugar Maple is the same tree. But I will add it on my addendum as a Sugar! (The big maple could also be a bigleaf or norway maple too!) Also, yes, about the Tulip — I am just trying to keep it simple :) Thanks for commenting, hope you like them!
I most definitely love them, and am very grateful you put the work, they are beautiful, I can’t wait to use them!! :)
I forgot to say how much I love these, though!
These are amazing! Thank you sooo much! Is there a chance you could make a ginkgo leaf card? I will be using these each year. Thank you sooooo much!!!
Kristen, yes, I will add it as an addendum on the site in the next few days :)
These are fabulous, Amy! Thanks for so generously sharing them. I was happy to feature your post as the Free Printable of the Day at the Living Montessori Now Facebook page and on Pinterest. :)
Deb @ Living Montessori Now recently posted…Free Spider Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spider Activities
Thank you sooooo much!!!!!!!
These are beautiful! I have been looking for something like this for years–thank you so much for sharing!
Sarah recently posted…Playing Outside and Awe & Wonder
You’re so welcome, Sarah, I am so happy to be a resource to your Montessori teaching :)
This is WONDERFUL! so glad i found this. I’ll be doing this with my children since I love leaves and fall!
Thaleia (@Something2Offer) recently posted…Creative Ways to Organize Crafts
Thanks, Thaleia :)
Wow! This would have taken quite a bit of time to make 30 of these! Thank you so much for sharing them with us! I found your post on Family Fun Friday.
Missy recently posted…My Crafty Kids – How to Make Snowflake Stones
My kids are always asking me to identify leaves, and I have no idea! That’s why I’m printing these up right now and will feature them at the After School linky on Monday. Thanks so much for sharing!
Anna@The Measured Mom recently posted…A Giant List of Books about Friendship
I just found your blog through Debs at Learn with Play at Home, and I’m printing this as I type! My kids and I are so curious about all of the trees in our neighborhood and we can only name a handful of them — this is sure to be a big hit. xo
Thanks Rachelle!!
Wow! What a great resource! I’m pinning this in my (CarlaINHouston) Free Printables!! board…thanks so much for sharing!!
Carla recently posted…Bubble Spider Webs!!
Thank you so much for these! We actually collected a TON of leaves today in the park so we could bring them home to find a book to identify them. Then when checking my e-mails I found your wonderful printables! Praise God and thank you!!
These are wonderful! Thanks so much for linking up with Hearts for Home Blog Hop. I am featuring you as one of my favorites this week. Be sure to stop by and grab an “I’ve been featured” button. :-)
Lisa recently posted…Three Arches Historic Home
Thank you so much! I will be printing off two copies of four to a sheet to use them as a matching game, Go Fish, etc. This is great!
Thank you for linking up with the Hearts for Home link up last week. Your post has been selected to feature on this week’s instalment of Hearts for Home blog hop on Monsters Ed Homeschool Academy. Please remember to snag the “I was featured” button tomorrow morning. The blog post will be going live tomorrow morning. http://www.monstersed.co.za/2013/10/24/hearts-home-20-free-downloads
I have not seen something this in depth about tree leaves before. I have always wondered what types of trees we have based on their leaves and now my children and I can tell with the use of these identification cards. Thank you for sharing and for linking up this week to the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop.
Jill recently posted…Preparing to Homeschool: Teaching While Learning
Great work! Featuring at Family Fun Friday. :-)
Monica
http://www.happyandblessedhome.com/category/family-fun/
Thanks, Monica!!
These are such a great resource! I can’t wait to print mine out and add them to our science area!
Katie recently posted…Setting Up Science for Fall
These are Fantabulous!!!! Thank you so much for all the time you put into these.
These are wonderful, thanks ever so much for sharing! My kids are always picking up leaves and asking me the names of the trees that they come from. ~ Donya
As a Mum that is asked daily as we walk to school what is this leaf, flower, tree, bug… (you name it) I love this. Thank you so much for the resource and also for linking up to Tuesday Tots popping by to let you know that I will be featuring this over on Rainy Day Mum this week.
Cerys @ Rainy Day Mum recently posted…I Spy Game and Telescope Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Just printed the leaf identification cards – thank you so much! Just what I needed for my walks in the woods with the kids.
Amy, thank you for linking up to the Hip Homeschool Moms’ Hop this past week. Our team members choose their favorite post from the links and your post was one of them chosen! Be sure to grab our “I was featured on Hip Homeschool Moms” button on our site! Here is the link where you were featured. http://www.hiphomeschoolmoms.com/2013/10/hhm-favorite-posts-weeks-hop-10292013/
We hope to see more of your posts linked up! Thank you for being a part of our community!
I really like ur gesture of sharing your learning with other learners.
Thanks Uzma :)
I love theses! I’m having trouble downloading them though. When I click on the link it takes me to dropbox and then displays an error code 404 file cannot be found. your help would be greatly appreciated as we are starting back to school on Monday with tree and leaf identification part of our science.. Thanks so much!
Meghan(homeschooling mom of 2)
Thanks for letting me know, Meghan, I just started hosting my files for printables on dropbox, and it was the wrong link! Please let me know thast this worked for you now!!