Classifying Leaves (Photo from Two Little Seeds)
The classifying leaves activity from Two Little Seeds is a wonderful Montessori-oriented botany activity for autumn. It’s a great activity to do in the summer as well. It adds interest for preschoolers and early elementary children by combining a leaf-collecting activity with matching leaf cards.
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An extension of the activity could be to add parts-of-a-leaf cards from a company like Montessori Print Shop, Montessori Services, or Montessori for Everyone.
If you’re very limited by the types of trees where you live, you can always match leaf cards with photos of trees and leaves. Of course, if you are able to go on a nature walk with your child to collect leaves to match with the cards, that’s the best way to make a fun and memorable leaf classifying activity.
Have you collected leaves with your child?
Deb says
October 4, 2010 at 6:37 amI love these sorts of activities, where you get out and explore then do something with your treasures. It provides such purpose. I’ll have to check out the cards, I’m stunned by the fantastic Montessori resources out there.
I’ve also used leaves to make dichotomous keys.
Deb Chitwood says
October 4, 2010 at 6:00 pmThanks for your comment, Deb! Those are always the best sorts of activities, aren’t they?! The more I do research online, the more I’m stunned by the fantastic Montessori resources as well. I wish they would have been around when I was teaching and when my children were little! And thanks for the dichotomous keys idea!
Daisy says
October 4, 2010 at 11:26 amHow great to find some new ideas and places to extend it! Glad you enjoyed! Daisy xx
Deb Chitwood says
October 4, 2010 at 6:02 pmThanks, Daisy! I just LOVE your activity – and I appreciate you giving me permission to use your great photo! This is another activity I’m going to remember for when I have grandkids!
Kyle Sadler says
October 4, 2010 at 12:14 pmThis work is so perfect for this time of year!
Kyle Sadler
http://www.montessoriforlearning.blogspot.com
Deb Chitwood says
October 5, 2010 at 5:09 pmSo true – thanks for your comment, Kyle! I LOVE finding Montessori-oriented activities that fit with the season!
Michele says
October 4, 2010 at 11:17 pmHi! Visiting from the Homeschool Hop and really enjoyed looking around your site. Montessori is very interesting to me and we’re just starting to examine some options for our little ones. I’ll be back to read more!
Michele
http://mountaineerheritage.wordpress.com
Deb Chitwood says
October 5, 2010 at 5:14 pmHi, Michele! I’m happy you found me! Feel free to ask questions – and I’ll look forward to getting to know you!
Sherry says
October 5, 2010 at 3:05 amWhat fun! Looks like you found some amazing leaves, too! Do you do leaf rubbings with them or?
Deb Chitwood says
October 5, 2010 at 5:18 pmThanks for your comment, Sherry! Actually, the leaves in the photo are from Two Little Seeds, a blog from Wales! Cool, huh?! I think it would be great to do activities like leaf rubbings or waxed paper leaves as well. I always liked to add related art activities to subjects like botany whenever I could.
Melissa says
October 5, 2010 at 9:00 amStopping by from the Homeschool Hop. This is a really cute activity. I homeschool a Kindergartner and was going to do a pressed leaves art craft. But maybe I’ll throw in some classifying too!
Deb Chitwood says
October 5, 2010 at 5:21 pmThanks, Melissa! I LOVE combining subjects like art and botany – sort of a unit studies approach to Montessori!
Michelle says
October 5, 2010 at 11:21 amOh, I wished I had read this before now. We just got back from a big nature outing and collecting leaves would have been perfect! Fortunatly we live very close to a nature center so we will just have to head back another day!
Deb Chitwood says
October 5, 2010 at 5:22 pmThanks, Michelle! Yes, now you have a good excuse to head back for some more fun!
SomeGirl says
October 7, 2010 at 5:14 pmOooh, this will be GREAT for our road trip through New England and all the lovely leaves we collect! Thank you for sharing it!! 🙂
Deb Chitwood says
October 7, 2010 at 6:34 pmYou’re welcome, Michelle! I was happy to discover it – and happy to have a blog to share it with! Your trip sounds FANTASTIC, by the way!
Danyelle says
November 9, 2010 at 4:04 pmStopping by from blogfrog – this is great! I’ll definately be doing this with my Discovery Scouts group…we’ll gather the leaves on our hike next week.
I’m excited to have found your site, I’m just starting to homeschool my twin girls – I’ll be back often!
Deb says
July 22, 2011 at 4:43 pmHi Danyelle! Thanks for your comment – I just found it! I hope your homeschooling is going well. 🙂