EHS Flowers and Gardening

Changes to Environment

Pictures of Flowers and Gardens Plastic Fruits and Vegetables Books about flowers and gardening Fake flowers Plastic flower pots Plastic child size gardening tools Watering can Gardening hat Gardening gloves Magnifying glasses Empty flower packets Plastic viewing containers Dirt Plastic child sized wheel barrel Flower and Gardening Magazines Flower and/or fruit and vegetable stamps Flower and/or fruit and vegetable stencils Flower and/or fruit and vegetable cookie cutters Plastic bugs and insects Bug and insect stamps Squirt bottle Water table: fake flowers, pail, watering can, small plastic flower pots, etc Sensory table: dirt, real flowers (nontoxic), shovel, small plastic flower pots, etc

Teaching Concepts for Indoor Experiences

1. Make coke bottle flowers, using bottom off coke bottle 2. Place white flowers in food coloring/water mixture and watch flowers take on the color of the food color they are in 3. Color coffee filters with markers, then spray with water, let dry, then fold to make flower 4. Make flowers with playdough 5. Flower collage (use magazine clippings) 6. Count and sort flowers by color 7. Put the parts of the flower in correct order 8. Flower rubbings 9. Paint with flowers 10. Make a flower arrangement with fake flowers 11. Place fake flower stems through holes in colander 12. Place plastic flowers or leaves on construction paper, place out in sun for a few hours, lift flowers and see the outline of the flower left on paper. Special Activities: Grow your name- Get small boxes, line them with plastic, and fill them with potting soil. Have your children scratch out their name in the soil. Have them sprinkle grass seeds into the name. Gently cover it with soil and soon you will have their name growing in a garden.

Teaching Concepts for Outdoor Experiences

1. Nature walk 2. Hide fake flowers and try to find them all 3. Water the flowers, grass, plants, etc 4. Flower Hop 5. Ring Around the Rosies 6. Bee Science Fun- Roll a large white pom pom (pretend it's a bee) on a flower (a daisy works really well) see the pollen that it collects. Bees collect pollen when they land on a flower and carry it back to their hive in their pollen baskets. Pollen is mixed with honey and fed to the baby bees (it's called bee bread). 7. Soil search- have children examine all sorts of soil (clay, potting soil, sand, top soil) Use magnifying glasses to observe and see how they are different, feel them as well to see the different textures of each.

Teaching Concepts for Music Movement Wellness IMIL

1. Parts of the Plants (tune: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes) Do you know the parts of plants, parts of plants? Do you know the parts of plants, parts of plants? All kinds of plants that grow and grow and grow. Do you know the parts of plants, parts of plants? The roots hold the plant in place, plant in place. The roots hold the plant in place, plant in place. The roots store food and water too. The roots hold the plant in place, plant in place. The stem moves water up the plant, up the plant. The stem moves water up the plant, up the plant. The stem brings water to the leaves. The stem moves water up the plant, up the plant. The leaves soak up the sun, soak up the sun. The leaves soak up the sun, soak up the sun. The sun helps the plant to grow and grow and grow. The leaves soak up the sun, soak up the sun. The flower grows into a fruit, into a fruit. The flower grows into a fruit, into a fruit. Inside the fruit are little, tiny seeds. The flower grows into a fruit, into a fruit. 2. I’m a Little Daisy (tune: I’m a Little Teapot) I’m a little daisy Tall and slim (Stand on tiptoes) Here are my petals (Place hands on side of head & wiggle fingers) Here is my stem (Hold arms down at sides of legs) When the sun comes up (Make sun with arms) And the rain comes down (Flutter hands to floor like rain-end in crouching position) I grow, grow, grow- up from the ground! (slowly raise up bring hand over head) 3. There’s A Little Flower (tune: Did You Ever See A Lassie?) There’s a little flower, A flower, a flower. There’s a little flower On my garden path. A flower so neat! It’s a rose so sweet. There’s a little flower On my garden path. (Continue singing additional verses to the song, replacing the word “rose” in the second verse with hollyhock, marigold, zinnia, daisy, bluebell, lily, peony, pansy, tulip, sunflower, etc.) 4. I’m a Seed I’m a seed that’s in the ground I get sunshine and water I grow a stem, two leaves and then Pop! I’m a flower! 5. Green Grass Grows All Around There was a tree (There was a tree) All in the wood (All in the wood) The prettiest little tree (The prettiest little tree) That you ever did see (That you ever did see) Well, the tree was in a hole And the hole was in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around The green grass grew all around Well in that tree (Well in that tree) There was a nest (There was a nest) The prettiest little nest (The prettiest little nest) That you ever did see (That you ever did see) Well the nest was in the tree, The tree was in a hole, The hole in the ground And the green grass grew all around, all around The green grass grew all around Well in that nest (Well in that nest) There was an egg (There was an egg) The prettiest little egg (The prettiest little egg) That you ever did see (That you ever did see) Well the egg was in the nest, The nest was in the tree, The tree was in the hole, The hole was in the ground, And the green grass grew all around, all around The green grass grew all around Well on that egg (Well on that egg) There was a bird (There was a bird) The prettiest little bird (The prettiest bird) That you ever did see (That you ever did see) Well the bird was on the egg, The egg was in the nest, The nest was in the tree, The tree was in the hole, The hole was in the ground, And the green grass grew all around, all around The green grass grew all around. Well on that bird (Well on that bird) There was a feather (There was a feather) The prettiest little feather (The prettiest little feather) That you ever did see (That you ever did see) Well the feather was on the bird, The bird was on the egg, The egg was in the nest, The nest was in the tree, The tree was in the hole, The hole was in the ground, And the green grass grew all around, all around The green grass grew all around And on that feather (And on that feather) There was a bug (There was a bug) The prettiest bug (The prettiest bug) That you ever did see (That you ever did see) Now the bug was on the feather, The feather was on the bird, The bird was on the egg, The egg was in the nest, The nest was in the tree, The tree was in the hole, The hole was in the ground, And the green grass grew all around, all around The green grass grew all around. Yes the green grass grew all around, all around The green grass grew all around. 6. Mary, Mary Quite Contrary Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle-shells, And pretty maids all in a row.

Teaching Concepts for Fingerplays

1. I’m a Little Flower Pot (tune: I’m a Little Teapot) I’m a little flower pot mom put out (point to self) If you take care of me, I will sprout. (nod head, point to self) When you water me, I will grow (make sprinkling motions w/ right hand) Into a pretty flower, don’t you know! (raise left hand slowly up from floor, make wide circle with hands or arms) 2. 5 Little Daffodils One little daffodil had nothing much to do, Out popped another one, then there were two. Two little daffodils were smiling at a bee, Out popped another one, then there were three. Three little daffodils were growing by the door, Out popped another one, then there were four. Four little daffodils were glad to be alive, Out popped another one, then there were five. Five little daffodils were wearing golden crowns, They danced in the breeze in green satin gowns. 3. A Little Sun A little sun (hold arms above head) A little rain (wiggle fingers in the air in a downward motion) Now pull up all the weeds (pretend to pull weeds) Our flowers grow, all in a row (hold up all ten fingers lined up like flowers) From tiny little seeds. (hold thumb and finger to show size of seeds) 4. Five Pretty Flowers 5 pretty flowers in my garden grew. “Hmmm,” I said, “I bet they smell pretty too!” I bent down to sniff, but they tickled my nose. Aaah-Choo!  Oh no!  (with exaggeration!) Away one flower blows! (remove 1 flower & repeat rhyme & counting down) 5. Plant a Little Seed Plant a little seed (one hand makes a loose fist for pot, other hand moves down through pot) Watch it grow (hand comes back through pot) Soon we will have a vegetable (move fist over fist upward) Plant a little seed, watch it root, Soon we will have a piece of fruit. Plant a little seed, watch it sprout. Let’s all try to figure it out.