Crafts
Pinecone Bird Feeders (PDF)
During fall and winter months, we can find a huge diversity of small birds that aremigrating and overwintering. These birds depend on nuts, seeds, and other fatty foods to provide them energy during cold weather. Learn how to make a bird feeder using materials from your environment and home.
Leaf Rubbings and Stamps (PDF)
Why do deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall? When temperatures drop in the winter, these trees drop their leaves instead of spending valuable energy to protect them from frosts.
Fall is a great time to observe the broad diversity in leaves and leaf shapes, and there are many ways we can preserve the images of leaves! Learn how to make rubbings and stamps of the leaves of your neighborhood.
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Leaf and Flower Prints
¡Esta actividad para imprimir hojas y flores también está en español!(opens in new window) / This leaf and flower printing activity is also available in Spanish thanks to Garden Club Argentino!
What gives flowers and leaves their wide range of beautiful colors? The power of pigments! Special pigments in flower petals attract pollinators, and the pigments in leaves are part of the process that converts sunlight into the plant’s food energy. While pigments are an important part of keeping many plants healthy, they’ve also been used by people throughout history as dyes! In this leaf and flower printing activity from Kids Gardening, you’ll learn more about pigments and how to transfer them to fabric. Take a walk outside to find leaves and flowers to use, and turn a t-shirt, pillowcase, or ordinary canvas bag into a colorful, floral work of art!
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Fossil Molds & Casts
Become a paleontologist (a scientist who studies fossils) by learning about how fossils are formed and making your own “fossils” (PDF) of materials you can find at home and in your yard or neighborhood!
Design a Seed
How do plants move and grow in new places? Plants can’t walk, swim, or fly around like animals can, so they rely on their seeds to travel to new homes. Learn about different types of seed dispersal and design your own seed (PDF) – and don’t be afraid to use your imagination and create a completely new seed type!
