Autumn Leaf Suncatcher
Fall leaves are everywhere this time of year! When you head outside, see how the sunlight shines off the bright colors! Today, you’ll make a beautiful suncatcher with fall leaves. Why do leaves change color in the fall? Scientists ask a lot of questions like this, as the first step to learning more about the world. How many questions can you ask while you explore outdoors?
Materials:
- Clear contact paper, cut into squares (4″ x 4″ or larger)
- Scissors
- Clear tape (optional)
Connect with Nature:
- Head outside and collect colored fall leaves that you find on the ground. The more colors the better!
- Take two squares of clear contact paper, and peel the paper backing off of one square.
- Choose the leaves that you want to include in your suncatcher and place them on the sticky side of the contact paper, making a cool design!
- Use scissors to cut the leaves into other shapes, or a hole punch to make small leaf circles to add to your design. (optional)
- When your design is finished, peel the backing off the other square of contact paper and lay its sticky side on top of your leaves. This seals the two sheets together with the leaves in between.
- Leave your suncatcher as a square, or cut it into a fun shape.
- Tape your suncatcher to a sunny window and enjoy the bright colors!
Dive Deeper:
- Why do the colors of leaves change in the fall? Learn more about this amazing science at
- Track how the leaf colors change in your suncatcher over the next few weeks!
Phenology Wheel
Before You Explore:
Phenology is the science of the relationship between climate and seasonal biological events (such as bird migration and plant flowering). Phenology is nature’s calendar!
Materials:
- Phenology wheel template
- Colored pencils, markers, or crayons
Connect with Nature:
Make your own phenology wheel using the example here. (Or search for ‘printable phenology wheel’ online to see other examples.)- Collect a few things to write and draw with.
- In the slice of the wheel under each month, draw a picture of something important in nature that you observe in that month.
- In the center slices of the wheel, add something special that happened to you that month. Maybe a birthday, holiday or unforgettable weather!
- At the end of each year, you’ll have an awesome record of the natural world around you.
- Enjoy observing and tracking nature!
Dive Deeper:
- Did you know that YOU can be a phenologist? Visit https://budburst.org/ to get started today being a Bud Burst Observer and reporting on events in nature in your neighborhood.
- Challenge yourself to create a daily phenology wheel for one month! Track the phases of the moon and daily weather. Find a one-month template here: