Oh, Nuts!

I love fall field trips with kindergarten students. We do a lot of exploring and wondering on our nature hikes. This past week, we were treated to different kinds of nuts that the trees at our site had produced.

It’s endlessly amazing to me that all of the information that trees need to start out life is contained in the small little packages we find on the ground this time of year. Many kids (and adults!) who we talk to don’t realize that these tiny seeds grow to be the big trees around us. One step further is taking each of these nuts and matching them up with the trees that they become. Acorns, black walnuts, chestnuts, and hickory nuts are common in our area and have unique enough shapes to remember.

Curious to know more about acorns? Try the book Treemendous: Diary of a Not Yet Mighty Oak by Bridget Heos. Told from the point of view of an acorn as it grows to be a magnificent tree, you’re sure to learn new facts about those seeds that are so fun to find this time of year!