What kinds of tree are around you? As well as being out in the woods, we think it’s important to know what’s there in the forest with us! And that’s where this tree identification guide with pictures comes in.
Simply enter your email below to access the printable. Then download it, print it out and use it in your setting. There are two pages, and nine trees, plus space to make notes if you need to. It’s a tree leaf guide really, as it has photographs of the different leaves so you can spot the characteristic traits of the trees. It’s designed in colour, but I know many people will only have access to black and white printing. It prints fine in black and white too, and if you print it double-sided it will fit on one sheet of paper. Here’s how I use it.
This is a game to help children learn about trees. Before you start the game, make sure you do actually have the trees in your wood! See below for a list of the UK trees covered by this guide. Split the children into three teams. Give each team a tree identification guide. They will be finding three trees per team. You can cut the tree ID sheet into sections and give each team a section with only their trees on if that is easier for you (and them). Each team has to find the three trees on their sheet. When a team finds a tree they think is one of theirs, I get them to explain what features they used to ID the tree. They can talk about leaf shape, twigs, buds, bark and so on, linking the ‘real’ tree to the tree ID notes on their guide sheet. If they get it right, they can read out a ‘fascinating fact’ about the tree from their sheet (and I learned something putting that guide together!). The winning team is the team that finds their trees first. You don’t have to offer a prize – we typically don’t – but you could if there was a reason to, or you were using the game as part of an outdoor birthday party activity or something similar.
These trees may also be present in your location, but check before you send children off looking for them!
We couldn’t find a guide to tree identification that we wanted to use in our setting, or one that would be suitable for sharing as part of a Forest School Level 3 portfolio. This leaf identification programme is OK, but hard to use when you are outside.
So I made one and frankly I think it’s the best tree identification guide out there, if I do say so myself!
Grab a copy and see what you think! Enter your email in the box below to download the PDF and share the trees with your community.
