8 tree activity ideas and forest crafts for kids!

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Whether you’re studying forest ecology, plant life cycles, or just looking for a fun nature craft to do after school, you’ll love these tree activity ideas and forest crafts for kids. Try them all!

View looking up at the rough bark of a tall deciduous tree

1. Create Your Own Forest Layers Mini-Booklet!

Draw each layer of the forest (floor, understory, canopy, and emergent layers) on a separate piece of paper and cut them out. Assemble them into a booklet, so you can flip through each layer of the forest! These free printable templates will help with this drawing activity. OR, if drawing isn’t your thing, try this completed printable forest layers booklet.

2. Leaf Shapes

Create your own poster of the common leaf shapes by taking leaf rubbings of different shaped leaves. Place paper over a leaf and rub the surface of the paper with the side of a crayon. Then label each leaf shape with marker or pen.

3. Tree Trunk Model

Build a model of tree trunk anatomy by stacking different-sized circles made of construction paper, play dough, or even pancakes! Or – you can use this free printable worksheet as an example/template, or do this as a coloring activity!

Color in this tree trunk and learn about the anatomy of a tree: xylem, phloem, pith, and more! — Grab these FREE tree worksheets!

If you really want to dive into tree anatomy, I also recommend trying out my tree anatomy mini-study, which includes tree anatomy diagrams and much more:

4. Calculate Tree Height

This is one of my favorite tree activity ideas because it uses math! Make your own inclinometer and use it to calculate tree height! Here’s another article about how to make your own inclinometer and measure tree height, and also download this free tree height math poster!

You can also find additional worksheets and directions for a tree-height activity in my Math in the Forest unit. If you are interested in hands-on math activities and real-world math applications, I think you’ll enjoy this one:

5. Measure Tree Circumference, Diameter, & Radius

Here’s another math-based tree activity idea! Teach your students about circumference, diameter, and radius in a unique and hands-on way! Head outside with a tape measure and measure the circumference of different trees, then calculate their diameter and radius! Or use diameter and circumference measurements on a tree stump to back-calculate pi and see how close you can get to 3.14159265359….

I also created a mini-study with printable posters, worksheets, and activity guides for a pi, diameter, and radius lesson using tree measurements! You can support my blog by checking it out and purchasing it:

6. Tree Perspective Drawing

The canopy is the upper part of a forest. What does the canopy look like from below? Create a 1-point perspective drawing of the forest canopy. This is a fun way to add an art project to your studies of trees!

A perspective drawing of the forest canopy

7. Tree Ring Crafts

Cut thin slices of a tree trunk or branch. Count the rings to figure out the age of the tree (or branch). Drill a small hole through the top of each slice and then paint them to make hanging ornaments or name tags!

Don’t want to cut your own slices? Fortunately, you can also purchase wood slices in bulk.

Plus, you can read more here about tree rings, why they form, and how scientists use them!

brown tree log — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

8. Deciduous or Coniferous?

Collect samples of parts from several different deciduous and coniferous trees (leaves, needles, seedpods, flowers, fruits, cones, etc.). Grab two jars and label one “deciduous” and one “coniferous”. Sort the parts into the jars.

One of the many activities in my Trees Learning Collection!

Study Trees & Forests with Wild Earth Lab:

All the printable worksheets, directions, & materials you’ll need for the activities in this post are found in my Forest Collection. It’s a bundle of 3 tree and forest-themed units that I know you and your students will love: