A Deciduous Tree Study

Season Watching, Science, Family Projects, and Noticing the Everyday Miracles of Trees

Learning with trees is a journey through the seasons, science, and some of nature’s most astonishing facts. By closely observing one deciduous tree throughout the year, families unlock a world of discovery—changing leaves, animal visitors, dramatic weather, and a living record of time passing. This hands-on approach invites children to ask questions, record findings, and grow their observation and creative skills.

Getting Started: Choosing Your Deciduous Tree

Begin your adventure by selecting a local deciduous tree—one that loses its leaves in autumn. Our family chose a hazel tree along our daily walk. We identified it by its broad, jagged leaves and distinctive shape. Young saplings growing nearby led to conversations about seed dispersal and how plants compete for resources—a perfect link to Hands-On Education’s Seeds and Lifecycles and Plants Around Us packs.

What’s the Difference? Deciduous vs. Evergreen

• Deciduous trees shed their broad, flat leaves every autumn—the colour change is triggered by less sunlight and colder weather. Green chlorophyll breaks down, revealing beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows.
• Evergreens (like pines and holly) keep their leaves year-round. They’re adapted with tough, wax-coated needles, helping them retain water and withstand frost.

Try a leaf hunt: compare size, shape, and texture of nearby trees. Challenge children to spot visible veins (deciduous clues!) and collect samples for Nature Journals or art projects.

Observing Through the Seasons

Set a goal to visit your tree regularly—weekly or monthly. Track and journal these changes:

• Leaves beginning to change colour
• Leaf fall in autumn
• Bare branches in winter
• Budding, flowering and fruit/seeds in spring and summer
• Animals and insects: birds nesting, bugs on bark, squirrels on branches

Hands-On Education’s Seasons Pack and Nature Journal offer printable templates and observation prompts.

Project Ideas: Hands-On Science and Art

• Photograph your tree—make a collage or time-lapse throughout the year.
• Bark rubbings and leaf prints—use crayons/chalk for bark patterns and watercolours for leaf art.
• Poetry/storytelling—invite children to write stories or poems inspired by the tree.
• Mini tree model—build seasonal dioramas from clay, twigs, and natural finds.
• Seed hunt—track saplings and search for seeds around your tree.
• Map the wildlife—record and draw all creatures spotted using Minibeast resources.

Eight Fun Tree Facts to Share

1. Trees are the longest-lived organisms on Earth—some are over 4000 years old.
2. A tree never “dies of old age”—it’s usually pests, disease, or damage.
3. “Moon trees” grew from seeds taken to the moon with Apollo 14 in 1971!
4. Trees produce chemicals to protect themselves (some leaves taste bitter to insects).
5. Moss often grows on the north side of trees—helping you find your way.
6. A branch stays at the same height—hanging objects won’t “grow up” with the tree.
7. Trees filter rain, slowing its flow into rivers and reducing flooding.
8. A single mature tree absorbs significant CO₂ and releases enough oxygen for a family.

Comparing, Discussing, and Extending Learning

Every family member can join in: compare trees on your street, in local parks, or on holiday. Use Family Field Trips to pack in mini-lessons on climate adaptation and nature’s resilience.

Encourage discussion: Why do trees need to lose their leaves? How do evergreens survive winter? What would happen if all trees in a woodland were the same type?

Supporting Curriculum and Deeper Science

• At KS1 and KS2, link tree study to the Plants Around Us, Seasons, Seeds and Lifecycles, and Minibeasts packs.
• Connect to Science Investigations—explore plant growth, life cycles, the water cycle, and adaptation.

BBC Bitesize Resources

For fun animations, quizzes, and video explainers for every age, visit BBC Bitesize: What are trees? and explore their Habitats and Plants hub. Find simple guides on seed dispersal, leaf structure, and tree identification to supplement hands-on exploration.

Tips for Success

• Use notebooks, printables, or scrapbooks—encourage drawing, writing, or photography.
• Compare deciduous and evergreen trees in every season.
• Look up, look closely, look around—the more you observe, the more you’ll find.
• Let children lead, ask questions, and create projects inspired by their own discoveries.

Closing Thought

Deciduous tree study is a wonderful way to anchor both science and creativity all year long. Observing one tree brings lessons across seasons, life cycles, climate, and art—helping children notice, wonder, and love the natural world a little more each day.