Tree Treasures

Educators Information

This activity can be completed year round, but students will have the greatest variety of
natural objects to collect in the fall. In my classroom, I had students “donate” their leftover natural materials to our science center. I then added small cards with descriptions like “something spiky”, “something heavy”, “something straight”, or “something sticky.” Students could then independently search through the materials in our science center for objects that matched that description, as a follow up to our nature scavenger hunt activity.

Procedure

1. Ask students: “What does playdough feel like?” Students may say things like squishy, soft, or smooth. “What does sand feel like?” Students may say things like gritty or rough. Tell students those describing words they just used are called the properties of objects.

2. Tell students you will be going on a nature scavenger hunt, and that they will be collecting natural material based on their properties.

3. Show students the Tree Treasures scavenger hunt page, and read the descriptors for
objects. Explain that we will be looking for things that are spiky, things that are hard, things that are flexible, etc.

4. Give each student a small bag labeled with their name. A grocery bag or gallon-sized
Ziplock bag will be fine.

5. Go on a walk outside in an area with many trees. Oaks, pine trees, and sweet gums will be especially helpful to have around! Invite students to collect natural objects in their bags.

6. Upon returning inside, have students sit in a circle. Say “find an object in your bag that is spiky.” Students may show you pine cones, sweet gum balls, holly leaves, etc. Have students show the objects to you and their classmates. Discuss whether or not the objects shown match the property you’re looking for. Tell students that objects can have multiple properties. A sweetgum ball is brown, spiky, and round! Continue asking students to show you objects with each of the properties listed on the tree treasures scavenger hunt page.

7. Give each student a Tree Treasure scavenger hunt page, and have them glue down objects that match each description in the respective space on the page.

Supplemental Reading

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Extensions

Have students make “Leaf Man” pictures with their collected materials after reading Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert for a fun art/science activity.

Resources

Tree Treasure Scavenger Hunt