Family Activities

A plant is a living system. It needs sunlight, water, air, nutrients, and space to function and grow. In this activity, children design an experiment to test these requirements.

In this activity, children will learn about food webs, discovering the many ways that plants and animals of a forest ecosystem are connected.

All children, no matter their age, have an idea of what a tree looks like, but many are unfamiliar with the actual structure of a tree.  In this activity, children will go outdoors to take a closer look at trees and their parts.

In this activity, children will take a closer look at leaves and find out more about leaf characteristics and how leaves can be used to identify plants.

In early spring, the tiny, bright green leaves of many trees burst forth. Where do the leaves come from? How do they form? In this activity, children will find the answers to these questions through observation and research.

Trees come in various shapes and sizes. In this activity, children will measure trees in different ways and become familiar with tree scale and structure. They will also learn the importance of standard units of measure and measuring techniques.

In this activity, students explore differences in soil types and composition.

One way to learn about tree growth is to look at annual rings. Tree rings show patterns of change in a tree’s life as well as changes in the area where it grows. In this activity, you can trace environmental and historical changes using a cross section of a tree, or “tree cookie.”

In this activity, children look for signs of autumn. They observe the annual change of seasons, and investigate why leaves of deciduous trees change color in the fall.

Students will discover that trees have a lifecycle that is similar to that of other living things.