Leaf Puzzle
What you need
- two or three big dry fallen leaves
- card cut from a cereal box
- wide clear tape
- scissors
How to do it
- Lay each leaf flat on a piece of card and cover it completely with wide clear tape.
- Cut round the leaf, leaving a small border of card.
- Cut each leaf into two or three big pieces.
- Mix the pieces up and show them how two pieces fit back together.
- Let them rebuild each leaf, then mix all the leaves together for a harder go.
Why it matters
The leaves come from your own walk, so the puzzle is about something they found.
What they're learning
- Looking closely
- Matching the edges and the colour of each piece takes careful looking.
- Fitting together
- Turning a piece until it fits is the same skill as a puzzle board.
- Talking about nature
- Each leaf is a chance to talk about where you found it and its colour.
What to look for
Watch whether they match by colour or by shape. Both are good ways to solve it.
A tip
Pick big leaves; small pieces are fiddly and can end up in a mouth. Keep the scissors well out of reach.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: cut each leaf into just two pieces
Harder: cut them into four pieces, or ask them to sort the pieces by colour first
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Quiet & calm activities · Activities for 2 year olds · Toddler activities with a cardboard box · Toddler activities with masking tape