Growing Things Activities for Preschoolers

Growing Seeds

• Help children understand growth by helping them plant seeds. Have children decorate terra-cotta pots with paint. They can paint flowers, their names or anything else they want to use to decorate the pots. Let children put rocks at the bottom of the pot and watch as an adult adds soil. Then let children plant seeds in the pots. Remind children to water the plants and watch them grow over the weeks and months.

  Another growing activity is to plant a garden with children. Let them examine the seeds and make markers to indicate where the various seeds are planted.

Growing Crafts

• Use crafts to help children understand the concept of growth in living things. Help preschool children create a growth chart to keep track of their growth. Cut a piece of butcher paper about 4 feet long. Put a mark every 6 inches, and mark the growth chart at every foot. Let children decorate the side margins by drawing and coloring flowers, bumble bees or another decorative images.

Growing Field Trips

• Take children on growing-themed field trips to enhance a lesson on growth. Take a group of preschoolers to a community garden. Let them see how different fruits and vegetables grow. Have children find their favorite fruit or vegetable in the garden. After the field trip, ask the children to draw a picture of their favorite fruit or vegetable and how it grows.

  Another field trip on growth is to take preschool children to a zoo or farm where a baby animal has recently been born. Let the children see the differences between the baby animal and the full grown animals.

Other Growing Things Activities for Preschoolers

• Read books to preschoolers to help them learn more about growing and growth. One book to consider is "Growing Vegetable Soup" by Lois Ehlert, which explains the process of growing vegetables for preschool-aged children.

  For another growing activity, have children look in a magazine and cut out pictures of things that grow, such as flowers, vegetables, babies, animals and fruit trees. Have them make a collage of items that grow.