Who and What lives near our plants? 

Materials: DEPENDING ON PREFERENCE

• Baskets or Ziplock bags

OR

• Clipboards with  paper and crayons to draw what they see

• Pictures of “plant helpers” (bees, worms, rain, sun) and “plant hurters” (trash, bugs that eat leaves, too little water)

Instructions:

• Go outside to explore leaves, flowers, soil, and bugs.

• Look for: Patterns (lines on leaves, dots on petals); Textures (smooth bark, rough rock); Plant helpers (bees, ants, worms) and plant hurters (holes in leaves, trash near roots)

• New things to name: plants, insects, or habitats they may not have seen before

• Invite children to collect one safe item (like a fallen leaf or rock) or draw what they see.

• Gather as a group to share discoveries and talk about how we can be “Guardians of Plants.”

Powerful InterACTions - PK3:

• What do you see?

• Where did you find it?

• What does it feel like?

• Who do you think lives near this plant?

• Where did you find it?

Powerful InterACTions - PK4:

• Why do you think the leaf has holes/spots?

• How is this leaf different from that one?

• Have you seen a bug or leaf like this at home?

• What might happen to the plant if it didn’t have sun/water/bugs?

• What happens if we give plants water/forget to give water?