Leaf-Watching

In any normal year some of the shrubs and trees in my yard would begin to leaf out soon after the equinox - which was March 20, this year. And some trees, like the maples, flower first.

We're a bit behind this spring... but no matter. The buds are beginning to swell and any day now leaves - or flowers- will break through the bud scales.

However it happens in your neighborhood, now's a good time to get out and meet the new leaves. You might want to keep a "baby book" of leaf growth on your favorite tree. When the leaves begin to open, pick one and trace around it on a sheet of paper. Use colored pencils or watercolors to color in your drawing to match the leaf. Then each week, pick another leaf and trace it. Do that until they are full sized. You should see a neat progression of size and colors.

If you don't want to pick any leaves, use a camera to document the growth. You can even photograph the same leaf over a period of days - just tie a piece of yarn loosely around the twig.

Each tree produces leaves on its own schedule. You might want to make a spring calendar of when different trees "leaf out".  This is part of STEM Friday. You can find more science, technology, engineering and math resources for kids here.