Tumblelight Garden · for parents and caregivers

Leaves Change Color

Tavi finds a red leaf and worries the big maple is sick. It isn't! In autumn, leaves stop making green, their yellow and orange show, some make red, and then they fall while the tree rests until spring. A swirly autumn waltz for ages 2–5.

Actions: Leaves are turning: point up at a pretend tree. Yellow, orange, red: hold up one finger, then two, then three. Down, down, down: flutter your fingers down to the floor. Chant: spin slowly with your arms out on 'Swirly-whirly!' and let your child echo it, then stomp once on 'CRUNCH!' as if jumping into a leaf pile. Bridge: twirl like a leaf, float slowly down to the floor, wiggle, then freeze on 'stop!'. Verse 3: hug yourself like a resting tree, then pop up tall like a new spring leaf. In the 'Again!' round, name each color as it appears.

Chorus

Leaves are turning, look and see,
Yellow, orange, red on the tree!
Green goes away, the colors show,
Then down, down, down the leaves go!
Swirly-whirly! (Swirly-whirly!)
Swirly-whirly! (Swirly-whirly!)
Crunch-a, crunch-a, CRUNCH!

Verse 1

Tavi finds a bright red leaf,
Is our maple tree okay?
Piko looks up, up so high,
Green is going far away.

Verse 2

Days get short and nights get cool,
Leaves stop making green.
Yellow, orange, hiding there,
Now they can be seen!

Chorus

Bridge

Be a leaf and twirl around,
Floating slowly to the ground,
Wiggle, wiggle, flutter, flop,
Swirly-whirly... stop!

Verse 3

Our tree is healthy, it's not sick,
It rests all winter through,
Then in the spring, the little buds
Grow green leaves, bright and new!

Chorus

Outro

Swirly-whirly... crunch-a, CRUNCH!