Trees Ideas

Age Range: 5 - 11

If you're planning a 'Trees' topic in your classroom, explore some of our cross-curricular teaching ideas and activities!

Can you suggest any other ideas for a 'trees' topic? Leave a comment at the bottom of the page!

Teaching Ideas and Resources:


  • Write a recount, from the point of view of a tree, explaining all of the things that you have seen throughout your lifetime.
  • Make a list of ‘for’ and ‘against’ arguments about deforestation.
  • Make some instructions to ‘teach’ a tree how to carry out photosynthesis.
  • Make some instructions to teach people how to grow their own tree from a seed.
  • Make a glossary of words linked to trees.
  • Can you find any stories in which a tree (or a forest) plays an important role in the plot?
  • Write your own story in which a tree plays an important part.
  • Make a ‘Record-breaking trees’ booklet / poster with facts about amazing trees (e.g. the tallest tree in the world, the oldest tree in the world).


  • Collect some leaves and measure their area using a squared grid.
  • Carry out a survey of local trees and use the results for data handling activities.
  • Can you measure some trees? Can you estimate their height?


  • Find out how trees grow. What do they need to grow?
  • Identify the different insects and animals that live in / near different types of trees. Which parts of the tree do they live in / around? Which of these are helpful or harmful to the trees?
  • Create your own identification chart to help others to identify local trees.
  • Find out how seeds from different trees are dispersed.
  • Research the different fruit and nuts that trees produce. How many of these are edible?
  • What would happen if there were no trees in the world? Research what the impact might be on plants, animals and humans.


  • Take some digital photos of trees near to your school? Can you compare these with trees near to a school in a different part of the country / world?
  • Create a multimedia presentation (or a web page) to teach others everything that you know about trees.
  • Take some photos of the same tree at different times of year. Can you create a time-lapse animation showing how the tree changes?
  • Create a database of trees with information about each type.

Design Technology

  • How do we collect wood from trees? How do we use wood? How has wood been used throughout history?


  • Collect lots of different leaves and use these to create your own pictures of animals.
  • Create some silhouettes of different trees. How are they similar / different?
  • Sketch some trees in your local area.
  • How would you describe the colours of different trees / leaves near to you?
  • Create some leaf prints by painting leaves and pressing them onto a plain piece of paper.
  • Try some leaf rubbings.


  • Can you think of any musical instruments that are made using wood?


  • Find out about the types of trees that live in different places around the world. How are they adapted to live in different climates?
  • Are there any countries that use trees (or parts of trees) on their flags? Can you design a new tree-themed flag?
  • Make a map of your local area and plot the locations of different types of trees.
  • Can you try to recycle your old paper?


  • Find a local tree and try to work out / estimate its age. What different historical events have taken place during that tree’s lifetime? Could you show these on a timeline?


Filtered HTML

  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.