LEAF Resources
All our LEAF resources in one place.
All of the resources below can be used by anyone, whether you are working towards a LEAF award or not. They can be used as part of an Eco-Schools Green Flag award or for general Learning for Sustainability.
Please note that we are currently running a pilot version of the LEAF programme, so registrations are not open at present. If you would join LEAF once the programme is expanded (currently planned for Autumn 2023), please complete our waiting list form.
Resources list
All resources have elements of our core LEAF requirements (outdoor learning, connection to nature and learning about forest-based ecosystems).
View our Tree of Learning curricular maps to help you link your LEAF activities to the curriculum: Early Level, First Level, Second Level, Third Level, Fourth Level.
Specific help and resources for outdoor learning can be found on our Outdoor Learning page.
Key:
Theme icons
Resources are listed under their most relevant theme.
Additional theme icons indicate themes that the resource would also be relevant to.
Age range
Suggested age range suitability.
Many activities can be done out-with these age ranges, depending on pupil ability.
Duration
Durations are given as guidelines only.
Project = multi-day activity involving repeated work over several weeks as a minimum.
Equipment
* Very easy, no or very basic equipment needed
** Some equipment needed
*** Specialist equipment needed
All themes
Tree planting: Excellent resources from The Woodland Trust, including Free trees for schools and communities, which small native trees to plant and Tree Planting Advice. Tree planting can be done on any scale, including single trees, or planting native hedges.
Theme: All Themes Age: All Duration: Project Equipment: **
Biodiversity Planting: An excellent set of resources from The Garden for Life Forum to help you create an area rich in biodiversity. Start with ‘Garden for Life’, which has an amazing image of a wildlife friendly garden. Projects can be chosen to focus on a specific theme, e.g. add a pond for water, create an orchard for products.
Theme: All Themes Age: All Duration: Project Equipment: **
LEAF Reading List: A list of English and Gaelic texts with forests and nature as their subjects. The list includes fiction and non-fiction titles split by age range. There are suggested points for discussion to expand learning further.
Theme: All Themes Age: All Duration: Depends on book length Equipment: *
How to measure the height & age of a tree: A simple STEM activity to help you estimate the height and age of a tree in your local area.
Theme: All Themes Age: 5-18 Duration: 30 mins Equipment: *
Inviting Pollinators to the school yard: This lesson plan, invites you to learn more about pollinators and create a pollinator friendly garden. This lesson has been adapted from a Portuguese entry to a FEE lesson plan competition.
Theme: All Themes Age: 6-16 Duration: Project Equipment: **
Connecting to Nature: The Nature Connection Handbook from the University of Derby is a fantastic resource, which includes information on the benefits of nature connection for all ages, as well as ways for pupils to connect with nature that are incredibly simple and not time consuming.
Theme: All Themes Age: Any Duration: 30 mins Equipment: *
A special space: This resource from Keep Wales Tidy gives children the opportunity to spend time in nature, taking in their surroundings and finding their own special space.
Theme: All Themes Age: 7-11 Duration: 30-60 mins Equipment: *
LEAF and the Sustainable Development Goals: This pack from The Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature contains a series of activities, which can be used to link LEAF to each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Theme: All Themes Age: 7-18 Duration: 30 mins-full day per activity Equipment: *
Biodiversity
COP15 Biodiversity Live Lessons: If you didn't see our Biodiversity Live Lesson in December 2022, you can still watch the recording and access the lesson resources. We have lessons for Early years to P3, Upper Primary and High Schools discussing COP15 for Biodiversity and celebrating the amazing organisms that we share our planet with.
Theme: 
Age: 3-18 Duration: 30 - 2 hrs Equipment: *
Imagine you are a…: This activity is an engaging way for pupils to view the world from the perspective of the animals and plants that they share it with. This will hopefully allow pupils to develop empathy for these organisms and consider what they can do to help protect them.
Theme: 
Age: 3-18 Duration: 30 - 60 mins Equipment: *
Food Chains / Web of Life: Two activities, the first is a simple activity from Keep Wales Tidy to help young children understand food webs. The second is an activity from Keep Scotland Beautiful for older pupils, where pupils create a food web based on local animals and plants.
Theme: Age: 3-18 Duration: 30 - 60 mins Equipment: *
Climate
The Last Wolf: Watch the Early Years session from Climate Action Week 2022 in which we explain climate change for young children and author Mini Grey reads her wonderful story ‘The Last Wolf’. The resources accompanying the video will help you carry out the activities Mini talks about, including planting your own trees.
Theme: 
Age: 3-7 Duration: 30 min - 2 hrs Equipment: *
What are trees made of?: This lesson from LEAF Ireland includes an experiment to estimate the carbon content of a tree. The support sheet accompanying this resource has lots of information on Forests and Climate change, which can be used as the basis for discussion.
Theme: Age: 9-16 Duration: 1 - 2 hrs Equipment: *
Community
Forest Conflicts: In this activity pupils will look at what different groups of people want from a forest. They will use this information to examine conflicts of interest around forest use.
Theme: 
Age: 5-16 Duration: 1 - 2 hrs Equipment: *
Products
What wood I see: In this activity pupils will investigate all the different items made from wood that they use in their everyday lives.
Theme: Age: 3-16 Duration: 1 hr to full day Equipment: *
Make your own recycled paper: Learn about how paper is made by making your own recycled paper in this practical activity.
Theme: Age: 3-18 Duration: 2 days Equipment: ***
Water
Water tarpaulin: Use this activity from Keep Wales Tidy to model the natural flow of water using a tarpaulin and natural materials.
Theme: 
Age: 3-9 Duration: 1-2 hrs Equipment: **
How trees prevent flooding and pollution: This activity, including a discussion and an experiment, will help pupils learn about how trees help to prevent flooding and pollution and influence our weather and climate.
Theme: Age: 9-16 Duration: 1-2 hrs Equipment: **
Laws and Codes
Scottish Outdoor Access Code education resource pack: A series of activities produced by NatureScot that help children and young people understand their responsibilities in outdoor environments.
Theme: Age: 3-18 Duration: 30 min-2 hrs per activity Equipment: *
Create your own code: In this activity pupils will create their own code of conduct for their school grounds or local greenspace.
Theme: Age: 3-16 Duration: 1-3 hrs Equipment: *
Myths
Forest myths and stories: In this activity, pupils will explore myths and stories relating to trees and forests and use them as inspiration to create their own tales. .
Theme: Age: 3-18 Duration: 2-4 hrs Equipment: *
A Year of Tree Stories: In this activity, pupil will learn about the myths surrounding our native trees, as well as getting to know the trees themselves better with a wonderful resource from Forestry Commission Scotland.
Theme: Age: 3-9 Duration: 1hr per story Equipment: *
Creativity and Innovation
Land Art: A wonderful activity to create art that uses natural materials and leaves no environmental impact. You can vary the subject of your artworks to fit any theme.
Theme: (
) Age: 3-18 Duration: 1-2 hrs Equipment: *
Music from Forests: In this activity, pupils will first explore sounds from nature, including sounds from inside a tree. They will then use natural materials to create their own music.
Theme: Age: 3-18 Duration: Full day Equipment: *
