Activity best for children age 2 and up

Do you wear different clothes in the Summer and Winter? Some trees do, too! Deciduous trees are a type of tree that have adapted to change their features in habitats that get colder during the year. You can spot a deciduous tree if it is full of green leaves in the Summer, beautiful warm colors in the Fall, bare in the Winter, and sprinkled with leaf buds again in the Spring. It might look like these trees are not alive during the coldest months, but in fact, they go into a form of hibernation called dormancy! Deciduous trees are very sensitive to the environment and need to conserve their energy until Summer when they produce more food. Let’s grab some sticks from outside to make our own snowy deciduous trees!

Guiding Questions:

What kind of adaptations do deciduous trees have?

What is dormancy?

What other changes happen when it snows?

Grown Ups-Are you looking for more ways to extend your child’s learning? Check out these extension activities to build upon today’s STREAM activity!

Reading Connections:

“The Wish Tree” written by Kyo Maclear and Illustrated by Chris Turnham

Science Connections:

Seasonal changes in precipitation and temperature affect plants, soil, evaporation, and bodies of water. There are many opportunities to think about changes in nature during the winter months!