Our natural environment can provide a lot of inspiration for play.

Why do it?

  • To encourage children’s curiosity and help them learn to think.
  • To teach them to notice things.
  • To help them gain knowledge and skills.
  • To help extend their language.
a tree in autumn
a tree in autumn

How to do it

You’ll need: Sharp eyes, leaves, paper, paints, crayons or glue.

  • The leaf game: See who can find the biggest, smallest, brightest, brownest, yellowest or reddest leaf… then hunt again.
  • Leafy tracing: Put different leaves under a piece of paper then rub a crayon over the top. Ta daaa!
  • Leaf stamps: Paint leaves then carefully stamp them on your paper.

Extra for experts: Draw a tree trunk then glue leaves on as branches.

Using more te reo Māori

Te reo Māori English
Leaf
Paint
Massage
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Small