A kids' guide to tree identification

Before you go

Take a notebook, a pencil, a small bag for leaves that have already fallen, and a camera if you can. Ask a grown-up before touching or picking anything. Wash your hands afterwards.

Game one: find a leaf and ask three questions

Pick up a fallen leaf. Is it one piece, or lots of small leaflets? Is the edge smooth, toothed or lobed? Is the shape round, long or pointed? Write your answers. Then open the key and answer the same questions to find out what tree it came from.

Game two: bark rubbing

Hold a piece of paper against a trunk and rub the side of a crayon over it. The pattern that comes out is the bark. Make rubbings of several trees and match them. Which is the roughest? Which is smoothest? Which has diamonds?

Game three: needle count

Find a pine tree. Pull off one bundle of needles and count them. Two, three or five? Five needles is eastern white pine. Then pick a different tree with single needles. Roll a needle between your fingers: if it rolls, it is square and spiky, which means spruce.

Game four: the seasons

Visit the same tree every season. Take a photo each time. In winter look at the buds. In spring look for flowers and new leaves. In summer look at the leaves and the shade. In autumn collect seeds, acorns and winged seeds. The seasons calendar tells you what to look for each month.

Safety rules

• Never eat anything from a tree unless a grown-up who knows it says it is safe.
• Wash your hands after touching leaves, berries or bark.
• Do not climb trees that are dead, wet or high.
• Do not break branches or peel the bark, which hurts the tree.
• Leave seeds and fruit for the animals that need them.

Keep going

When you have found five trees, try ten. Draw a map of your street or park and mark the trees. Learn the oak, maple, pine and birch first, because they are common nearly everywhere.