Observing changes over time is interesting for anyone, but for little learners, this can be especially beneficial. Examining the process from beginning to end is a fantastic way for students to learn about changes and stages in a process. They can become little scientists and explore life science. Science units about life cycles can be used across all subject areas, and these crafts and activities are a great way to engage students in the intriguing world of plant life cycles!
1. Interactive Lapbook
Guide your kiddos in creating an interactive lapbook – the perfect learning resource! To do this, have them draw and cut out different plant life cycle stages along with what a plant would need to reach that stage. They can then glue them in their lapbook as they please for a learning experience that’s sure to grow their love for plants.
Learn More: Playdough to Plato
2. Sunflower Life Cycle Hat
Create cheerful sunflower life cycle hats with your learners in just a few easy steps. Simply print out a sunflower for the front of the hat and provide them with a long strip of paper. Task them with decorating their sunflower and drawing the different stages of sunflower growth on the strip of paper. Once complete, you can then assist them in stapling their hat together so that it fits snuggly on their heads.
Learn More: Playdough to Plato
3. Personal Germination Station
Creating individual greenhouses will add a spark of life to any life cycle lesson. Invite your kids to place damp paper towels in sandwich bags before placing a few beans inside. To help their beans sprout, have them place their bags near or on a sunny window. This activity will showcase how seeds don’t always need soil to grow!
Learn More: Primary Theme Park
4. Plant Life Cycle Chart
Enhance your plant lessons with the use of a life cycle chart. Your students will begin by filling in segments of a circle with different stages of plant growth. Proceed by encouraging them to decorate each segment as they please for a visual learning tool we guarantee they’ll love!
Learn More: Mrs. Kilburn Kiddos
5. Plant Life Cycle Booklet
Perfect for early readers, these plant booklets add a pop of color to any learning experience. Start by creating or supplying your learners with a template filled with plant life cycle pictures that they can color and decorate to their hearts’ content.
Learn More: Worksheet Place
6. Life Cycle Craft
Here’s another idea for a life cycle craft that your kiddos can create from scratch! Challenge them with cutting out a seed, seedling, plant, and flower from colored paper. They are then free to paste their paper pictures onto any canvas before labeling each stage on the life cycle.
Learn More: Mrs. Plemon’s Kindergarten
7. Life Cycle of Corn
Kick your lesson up a notch by moving away from general plant life cycles. Simply provide your pupils with paper plates and have them map out four sections to lay out the life cycle of corn. Then, have them use Wikki Sticks or yarn to create a suitable picture for each stage. Pair this activity with a yummy snack at the end for a scrumptious learning experience they will never forget!
Learn More: The Preschool Toolbox Blog
8. Apple Tree Play-Doh Life Cycle
Apple trees are great examples to use in your plant life cycle lessons. Encourage your learners to use colored Play-Doh to build up their apple trees from bare trunks to fruit-filled trees ready for picking.
Learn More: Mama Papa Bubba
9. Plant Journal
A plant journal is a fantastic way to keep your learners on track with their plant learning progress. Simply provide them with blank journals and encourage them to fill their journals each day with drawings of each plant growth stage that they’re introduced to. After they complete their journals, they could even use them to create plant life cycle posters!
Learn More: Teachery Tidbits
10. Plant Study Field Trip
Take learning outdoors with this engaging plant study activity! Lead your kids on a stroll through a park or even around the yard as they hunt for interesting plants. For some added flair – encourage them to take a closer look at their findings by having them use a magnifying glass.
Learn More: Firstieland
11. Plant Dissection
Dive deeper into the anatomy of plants with this dissection activity! Begin by sending your little scientists outside to choose flowers of different shapes and sizes. Once they’ve chosen their flowers, encourage them to use tweezers to pick apart their plants before sticking each part onto a piece of paper and labeling parts such as the stem, petals, or leaves.
Learn More: Firstieland
12. Parts of A Plant Lollipop Activity
Here’s a sweet activity that’s perfect for hungry tummies! Create a lollipop plant with your kiddos by having them first color their lollipop stick green. Then, task them with cutting out a flower and leaves from colored paper before labeling each part of their plant. Once completed, punch a hole in each cut-out before encouraging them to slide on their pieces to create their tasty lollipop flower.
Learn More: Primary Theme Park
13. Seed to Flower Video
Your learners can sit back and relax as they watch this captivating video on how flowers grow. Non-fiction videos are a great way to enhance your plant life cycle lessons and are sure to be a hit with your whole class!
Learn More: YouTube
14. Plant Life Cycle Bulletin Board
In this activity, your pupils will create a vibrant bulletin board that will make a perfect addition to your classroom. Simply have them cut out and color a variety of seeds, leaves, and petals from paper that they can use to piece together their bulletin board. Afterward, guide them in gluing their pieces to the board before having them label each stage.
Learn More: Pinterest
15. Garden Growing
Instill a love for all things gardening in your students with this hands-on activity! Each day, set out a task for them to carry out in order to create their very own classroom garden. Invite them to choose flowers or foods of their choice to add to their garden. This activity is great for ensuring active participation in understanding plant life cycles.
Learn More: Lesson Learnt Journal
16. Ice Cream Cone Plants
Add an exciting twist to your classroom garden! Start by providing your kiddos with ice cream cones before encouraging them to fill them with soil and seeds. Each cone is easily held and allows for easy individualization of this activity.
Learn More: Lessons Learnt Journal
17. Plant Life Cycle Book
This classic children’s book is a wonderful resource when completing a plant life cycle unit. Invite your little ones to relax and listen as you take them through each step in the plant life cycle. As they eagerly listen, invite them to observe the stunning illustrations as you journey through its pages.
Learn More: OverDrive
18. Egg Carton Plants
Egg cartons are the perfect tool for planting multiple seeds! Task your kiddos with filling each hole with soil before planting their seeds. They can then work together to maintain their plaints by each taking turns to nurture them.
Learn More: Today’s Mama
19. Tiny Greenhouses
These delightful, miniature greenhouses will make the perfect addition to a growing herb garden! Start by allowing your learners to fill plastic, see-through cups with soil and seeds. Then, have them seal their greenhouses by taping another cup on top of the other. It’s an activity that’s ideal for easy observation of plant growth.
Learn More: The Handmade Home
20. Grow Plants from Cuttings
Introduce your kiddos to the magic of plant regeneration in this hands-on activity. Simply start by inviting them to cut a leaf or stem from a mature plant and then have them place their snippet in soil or water. As the days go by, they will be able to watch as their snippet begins to grow and develop into a new luscious plant.
Learn More: My Tasteful Space
21. Edible Plant Cell Model
Get your learners keen for a tasty adventure as they craft edible plant cell models. Start by providing them with foods such as candies and jellies. Then, encourage them to use these items to create a blueprint of a plant cell. While their taste buds tingle, their understanding of plant biology will blossom!
Learn More: Somewhat Simple
22. Sponge Sprout Houses
Replace soil with sponges in this plant growth project! Task your students with layering sponges on top of each other before inserting toothpicks to hold the layers together. Afterward, invite them to place seeds into the spongy crevices and then have them water the seeds each day. Before you know it, their seed-covered sponge will sprout into adorable, green little bushes.
Learn More: Sixth Bloom
23. Dry Bean Dissection
Lead your kiddos through a lesson on plant reproduction with this interactive project. Start by prompting them to place large beans in a cup of water to soak. Once fully soaked, allow them to cut the beans in half and encourage them to make observations about what the inside of their bean looks like.
Learn More: Buggy and Buddy
24. Leaf Rubbing Art
Artistry meets botany in this colorful experience! Task your learners with gathering leaves of various shapes and textures. Then, allow them to place white paper over a leaf of their choice before rubbing over the area. Whilst they create their leaf rubbings, you can even take the opportunity to lead a discussion on why leaves are a vital part of plant growth.
Learn More: First Palette
25. Create a Sunflower Growth Chart
Your little ones will become sunflower experts by the end of this activity! Invite them to plant sunflower seeds and as they grow encourage them to observe and record any changes they see in its growth.
Learn More: The Muddy Puddle Teacher
26. Photosynthesis Experiment
In this experiment, your students will observe the important role that the elements play in plant growth. Start by setting one plant in darkness and another in sunlight. Encourage your kiddos to water each plant and keenly observe the differences in their growth.
Learn More: Exploring Nature
27. Plant a Tree
Venture outside of the classroom as your pupils become climate change warriors! Provide them with saplings and encourage them to plant as many little trees as they can. Each tree planted is a step taken towards a greener future.
Learn More: PLT
28. Seed Sorting
Here’s an activity that’s sure to get those little hands sorting! Simply begin by handing out an array of seeds to your learners before tasking them with classifying them into categories.
Learn More: No Time For Flashcards
29. Animated Plant Life Cycle Presentation
Kickstart your plant growth lessons with this tech-savvy activity! Delve into the digital realm of plant growth by having your kids use animation tools to craft visual tales of growing plants.
Learn More: Twinkl
30. DIY Seed Necklaces
Get those creative juices flowing with this fashion-forward activity! Task your learners with creating seed necklaces by having them first cut out circles from poster board. Next, encourage them to decorate their circles with various seeds before punching a hole in the posterboard and threading through string.
Learn More: PreKinders
31. Build a Plant Maze
Challenge your kiddos and their plants to a race to the top! Start by inviting them to create a vertical maze by sticking cardboard strips into a box. Then, have them place a plant of their choice at the bottom of the box and prompt them to water it as needed. As their plant grows, it will weave its way through the maze and hopefully make it out the top!
Learn More: Days with Grey
32. Pumpkin Life Cycle Mobile
These hanging mobiles are sure to add some wonder to your lessons on plant life cycles! Challenge your kids with drawing each stage of a pumpkin’s growth on individual paper circles. Next, have them attach their circles to a piece of string – making sure they are in the correct order.
Learn More: She Knows
33. Tissue Paper Flower Craft
Brighten up your classroom with some vibrant tissue paper flowers! Begin by prompting your students to roll stems out of green paper. Then, task them with folding layers of colorful tissue paper in an accordion style. Finally, have them combine the two by folding and taping them together before separating each paper layer. The end result? A fully bloomed and beautiful paper flower.
Learn More: YouTube
34. Seed Jar Observation
This activity is sure to keep your kiddos intrigued for weeks! Invite them to fill see-through, glass jars with paper towels before placing beans or seeds inside. Encourage them to water their seeds appropriately and observe as the roots begin to unfold and twist around the jar.
Learn More: Little Bins for Little Hands
35. Seed Mosaic Art
Indulge your little ones’ senses in this crafty mosaic activity! Simply provide them with a variety of seeds that they can then stick onto cardboard to create texture-rich flowers or leaves.
Learn More: First Palette
36. Grow a Magic Beanstalk
Take your learners on a whimsical adventure as they grow giant paper beanstalks right in their classroom! Start by cutting and pasting a green beanstalk shape onto paper. Then, encourage your kids to decorate their beanstalk using leaves, cotton wool, and colorful paints.
Learn More: Teachers Mag
37. Seed Tape Activity
Introduce your pupils’ to the beginning of the plant life cycle with this hands-on activity. Simply hand out strips of undyed paper to your class and then invite them to decorate their strips with crayons before gluing on a line of seeds. The perfect gift for anyone with green fingers!
Learn More: Childhood101
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