Become a leaf collector

How long will it take?

One to two hours for scrapbook and drawing. This project is best for the autumn.

What you will need

• leaves from different types of tree
• a scrapbook
• a tree identification book
• a pen or a computer with a printer
• glue or sticky-backed plastic
• paper
• pencil or fine-line pen
• print out our leaf guide to help identify the leaves you collect

Step-by-step guide

1 Ask your children to go outside and collect some autumn leaves. They should choose ones with no holes or tears and ones that are not too dry or scrunched up.

2 If they have collected lots of the same ones, they should put the leaves into piles of the same sort on the table - all the oak leaves together, all the chestnut leaves, and so on. They should choose the best one or two specimens and put the rest in the compost bin.

3 Now get your children to organise the leaves into a line; start with the smallest, simplest leaf, then the next smallest, and so on. Put the compound leaves after the simple leaves - they are the ones with leaflets (see Useful information).

4 On the first page of their scrapbook, they need to write their name, the date and the title - 'My Leaf Book'. They might like to do all the writing on the computer, print it out then cut it out and stick it in the scrapbook. On the next page, they should stick their first leaf. If they are using sticky-backed plastic, you may need to help them.

They should continue sticking the leaves in their book, one on each page.

5 Use our guide to the most common tree leaves to identify your child's finds; you could print the page out and take it outside with you. If the leaves they find are not on the sheet, use a tree identification book from the library. They can write what tree each leaf comes from on the appropriate page.

6 When they've finished, place their scrapbook under a pile of books for a month or so. This will preserve the leaves, and their book will last a long time.

7 Your children may want to draw some of the leaves. Ask them to lay the leaves out carefully on the table and decide which one they are going to draw.

8 Encourage them to look closely at the leaves, noticing the shape, the veins, the margin (or edge) and the stalk. They can colour it in if they wish, it is just as effective with pen or pencil.

9 The children will like it if you try to match up their drawings to the correct leaves. You may need to help them write the name of the plant on the back of the paper. Remind them to put the date and their name too.

Tips and advice

• If you use the computer, use 48- or 72-point font-size.
• Don't worry if you don't know the names of all the plants. Some will be from ornamental rather than native species, and will be difficult to identify. In the short term, you can use their leaf-shape to label them (see Useful information).
• A further activity could then be to borrow a tree/plant identity book from the local library and find the names with your children.

Useful information

• Simple leaves: the common, simple leaf-shape.
• Compound leaf: a leaf made up of small leaflets which all join to the midrib of the leaf. If the leaflets do not go right to the midrib, they are called lobes, not leaflets.
• Midrib: the central vein of a leaf.
• Margin: the edge of the leaf; it can be entire (smooth), serrated, lobed or toothed (dentate).
• Palmate leaf: resembles an outstretched hand. Linear leaf: a long, thin leaf-shape.
• Leaflets: lots of mini leaves which make a whole leaf.

Common trees include: alder, ash, beech, birch, elder, field maple, hazel, holly, hawthorn, horse chestnut, lime, oak, mountain ash (rowan), plane, sweet chestnut, sycamore, and yew. This does not include the conifers, apart from the yew.