the leaves fell off the branches / they've fallen

[curiousmarcus]

Child: The leaves are broken.

Parent: No, the leaves aren't broken. They just fell off the branches.

Parent: No, the leaves aren't broken. They've fallen.

I don't find the answers above satisfactory. Any suggestions?

 

[tedmc]

The leaves have dropped.

 

[Tarheel]

They have fallen off the tree.

 

[GoesStation]

We Americans call the season when trees lose their leaves the fall. (We sometimes call it autumn, too, but that's a lot less common.)

 

[tedmc]

The trees shed their leaves.

 

[Raymott]

No, this tree is deciduous; it undergoes seasonal abscission of the leaves.

 

[Roman55]

Did we ever get an answer to how old this child is? It came up in another thread because some of the suggestions were maybe too technical or used unusual vocabulary.

Is, 'it undergoes seasonal abscission of the leaves' really how one would explain this to a child who thinks the leaves are broken?

 

[Rover_KE]

He's three and can tell his left from his right. He still couldn't quite control his remote control car. Keeps on hitting things.

(curiousmarcus)

 

[emsr2d2]

The leaves have fallen off the tree. They do that every autumn/fall.
The tree has lost its leaves. That happens every autumn/fall.

I think those would be OK for a three-year-old.

 

[Raymott]

Is, 'it undergoes seasonal abscission of the leaves' really how one would explain this to a child who thinks the leaves are broken?

No, of course not. And I don't expect that curiousmarcus would think so either.