Learning About Plants in Preschool

If you're interested in doing a spring botany or gardening unit {spring really is a great time to cover these topics}, we found some great activities at Kids Activities Blog {from Erin F.} that you should consider when putting your unit together.

Sorting Nature

In this fun nature 'treasure hunt', equipped with a sectioned container for collecting samples, students will head out to the school yard in search of natural items that match the color swatches displayed in each of the container sections. Through this process students will not only strengthen color recognition, they'll learn about and practice collecting samples.

Once matches have been made, have your students meander back inside for some sorting fun!

• Sort 'living' items from 'nonliving' items
• Sort objects by type {flowers, gravel, leaves, wood, etc.}
• Sort samples by color

Counting Garden

This is a great math center activity. Using a large aluminum roasting pan and cardboard, create a garden with two distinct sections. Fill one section with rice, dried beans, popcorn kernels, etc. and leave the second section empty. Next, create flower number paddles {one through ten} using colorful construction paper and popsicle sticks. Armed with these paddles and ten large seeds, use the garden to practice:

• One-to-one correspondence. As you drop a seed into the empty side of the garden, have your student plant a flower. Continue the pattern - seed, flower, seed, flower - until all ten flowers have been planted.
• Listening and counting. Erin suggests having your student close their eyes and listen as you drop the seed(s) into the garden, then count out and plant the correct number of flowers.
• Simple addition and subtraction. Create simple word problems for students to "act out" using their flower paddles.

For these and other fun preschool plant activities, be sure to visit the Kids Activities Blog!