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8 Brilliant Leaf Science Experiments for Elementary

If you are teaching elementary science, you’ll love this collection of leaf science experiments for elementary!

These fall science experiments cover everything from photosynthesis to a leaf’s life cycle and will show kids everything they need to know about fall leaves and the science behind them!

elementary leaf science experiments

If you like these leaf science experiments, you’ll also like these pumpkin science experiments, creative STEM activities for kids, and our complete list of science experiments for kids.

NGSS Alignment

If you are teaching elementary science, you'll love this collection of leaf science experiments for elementary! Fun fall science for kids!

If you are following NGSS or some other state science standard, these are some of the catagories that these experiments align with:

  • K.Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: Animals, Plants, and Their Environment
  • 2.Earth’s Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth
  • 3.Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and Traits
  • 3.Weather and Climate
  • 5.Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems
  • 2.Structure and Properties of Matter

If you want more NGSS aligned experiments, check out our NGSS science series here.

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Leaf Science Experiments for the Classroom

leaf science experiments for kids

While most of the experiments on this list were first done at home, they can be used in a classroom setting as well.

If you do any of these experiments in the classroom, you’ll want to have supplies for groups of 4-5 students at a time.

Here are some of our favorite science kits!

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How to Set Up a Leaf Science Experiment

leaf science fair projects

Most of the experiments on this list take 2-3 sessions to complete.

Each kid needs some sort of science journal or worksheet to record their observations during the experiment.

Make sure you have all supplies for the experiments on hand and divide everything into groups before handing out to students.

If you’re doing the experiment at home, you can just set up everything ahead of time.

Go over science safety and the science behind the experiment before allowing kids to start. Once the lesson is completed, then you can hand out the supplies.

This will help eliminate waste, mess, and misuse of the equipment.

If you don’t want kids to use breakable materials, you can switch out most of the glass supplies for plastic equipment for these experiments as none of them have any material that has to be in a glass beaker.

leaf science projects

And now, on to the leaf science experiments!

Brilliant Leaf Science Experiments for Elementary

These leaf science experiments will teach kids everything they need to know about leaves, why leaves change color, a leaf's life cycle, and more!

What are your favorite leaf science experiments? If you try any from this list, let us know how your experiment went!

Use #steamsational to share photos and videos of your experiments on social media!

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