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sycamore seedCLUB CHALLENGE

Friday 4 September

Sycamore seed

It's autumn and trees are starting to
produce fruits and seeds.

Have you seen any seeds fluttering and
twirling to the ground like helicopters?

 

 
Helicopter hunt

Sycamore trees have 'winged' seeds, they are carried along by the wind - their shape helping them fly through the air.

  • Can you find any sycamore seeds?
  • Are they ready to fall?
  • Do they spin like helicopters?

Other trees, like field maple and ash trees, have winged seeds too. Can you find any of these?

nature detectives wildlife club arrowI hunted for helicopters and I found...
 

 

'Tis the seed season! 

Lots of other fruits and seeds are appearing now too.

Download the seed spotter sheet and see how many you can find :O) 

this nature resource for kids is a pdf documentseeds id sheetdownload this resource from the nature detectives wildlife websitespotter sheet

nature detectives wildlife club arrowI'm a seed spotting champion and I found...
 

 

Paper models

Try making paper helicopters!

Which one spirals the most as it falls - rectangular, paper seed or real seed?

Find a real sycamore or field maple seed falling from a tree. Or find one on the ground, hold it up, then let go and watch it fall.

Does the real seed catch the wind better than the paper versions? Which one stays in the air the longest? 

this nature resource for kids is a pdf documentpaper helicopter templatedownload this resource from the nature detectives wildlife websitepaper helicopter 
 

this nature resource for kids is a pdf documenthelicopterdownload this resource from the nature detectives wildlife websiteseed helicopter

nature detectives wildlife club arrowhere's a pic of my paper helicopters...
 

 

Build a helicopter

Try building a helicopter out of bits of nature!

Use a winged seed for the helicopter 'blades', what else you can find for the rest - grass, bark, leaves, seeds...? Try to keep it as light as you can, to help keep it in the air.

Does it fly or just crash to the ground? :O)

Take a photo of your helicopter and send it in, or draw us a picture!

nature detectives wildlife club arrownaturedetectives@woodlandtrust.org.uk
 

 

Design a heliport

Every helicopter needs somewhere to land :O)

Design a heliport (airport for helicopters!) for your helicopter -
imagine it, draw it or make it with natural bits and bobs!

You could think about:

  • the location (what destinations does your helicopter fly to?)
  • designing a helipad
  • what passengers you might carry - minibeasts? :O)
  • will your heliport have shops? If so, what will they sell?  

nature detectives wildlife club arrowwhat's your heliport like?
 

 

Did you know? 

Become a sycamore tree expert with these fab facts!   

this nature resource for kids is a pdf documentsycamore fact sheetdownload this resource from the nature detectives wildlife websitesycamore fact sheet
 

  

Decorate

Can you make this seed look as realistic as possible? Find a sycamore seed and look at all the different colours.

this nature resource for kids is a pdf documentsycamore colouring sheetdownload this resource from the nature detectives wildlife websitecolouring sheet

 

 
Put the sycamore seed sticker on your poster when you're done :O)
 

Are you a seed expert?

Test your knowledge in Owl's seed quiz and get a certificate!

play the seed quiznature detectives wildlife club arrowplay the seeds quiz