Once a month, Liz Baird of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences offers a new way to get your kids outdoors.

Here's Liz ...

Fall arrives with crisp air, clear moonlit nights, and leaves transformed into a rainbow of hues. The rich deep green wash that permeates our forests begins a gradual transition to a kaleidoscope of color. I always recognize the Tulip Poplars, which appear to be the first to turn yellow as October arrives. The Tupelo Gum alongside my house becomes a brilliant red, and the Sweet Gum trees in the front take on an almost purple hue.

Kids usually ask many “why?” questions, including “why do the leaves change color?” A simple explanation is the green we normally see is the chlorophyll that is used by the tree to turn sunlight into food (sugars). As the day length shortens, the chlorophyll breaks down and we can see the yellow and orange pigments that were always there, just hidden by the chlorophyll. The red and purple colors are usually a result of glucose (a sugar) that remains trapped in the leaves.

Head outside and start observing the changing leaves. Take a piece of paper and some crayons, and try to blend the colors to match the leaves you see. You can create far more colors than just what is in the crayon box! While some kids might want to try and draw the exact shape, also encourage them to also create the perfect color match for the leaf. Date your page, and then go back in a week and try to match the color again. How has it changed?

Leaves can be used to introduce young children to counting. See if you can find a leaf with just one tip or point, then go on and see if you can find a leaf with two tips, and three tips, and so on! What’s the largest number of points you can find on a leaf? Compound leaves, such as those on Hickory trees, will help you reach larger and larger numbers. If you collect the leaves, they can be pressed and assembled into a wonderful counting book. With older children, the leaf collection can become a more scientific study by using field guides to identify the trees, making notes of the location and date collected, and of course, naming the collector.

Explore the gorgeous palette provided by the leaves and enjoy some time outside with your child.

The natural sciences museum has a couple of fun events coming up this month - Chemistry Day on Oct. 18 and Crocktober! on Oct. 25. Go here for all the details.

Every Thursday, a rotating group of writers offer new ways and places to play with your kids.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!

WEEKEND: Relax!