Preschool Flowers and Bees Lesson Planning Ideas
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Welcome to my Flowers and Bees Preschool Lesson Planning Page. On this page you can find: links to preschool activities, book recommendations, suggested items to add to your learning spaces, and related Pre-K Printable fun products to compliment your Flowers and Bees theme.
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Materials for the Art center
Materials to add to the Art Space this week:
Construction paper in all colors, Tissue Paper, Dried flowers and leaves, Flower and Bee Stickers, Extra black and yellow crayons,
Dot markers, Chenille Stems, Flower Stamps
Construction paper in all colors, Tissue Paper, Dried flowers and leaves, Flower and Bee Stickers, Extra black and yellow crayons,
Dot markers, Chenille Stems, Flower Stamps
Nature Collage
Sticky Collage
This activity was shared by our friends from Building Blocks Family Child Care The preschoolers tinted clear glue with blue paint, then poured into a shoe box lid. Next they added a variety of items from nature for their collage.
Use contact paper to create a sticky Collage.
Try attaching your contact paper to the wall by folding over the top and bottom of the contact paper, leaving the sticky part facing out. Doing this project vertically helps support physical development.
**Alternate: Use dried flowers then add another layer of contact paper for a cute suncatcher.
Try attaching your contact paper to the wall by folding over the top and bottom of the contact paper, leaving the sticky part facing out. Doing this project vertically helps support physical development.
**Alternate: Use dried flowers then add another layer of contact paper for a cute suncatcher.
Bottle Stamping Flowers
Community Member Sheena W. shared this idea.
Provide green paper for preschoolers to cut stems from.
Then provide empty bottles (the kind with bumps on the bottom) and shallow dishes of paint. Preschoolers dip the bottle into the paint and then on their paper.
Provide green paper for preschoolers to cut stems from.
Then provide empty bottles (the kind with bumps on the bottom) and shallow dishes of paint. Preschoolers dip the bottle into the paint and then on their paper.
Paint Outdoors
Set up an area outside where children can look at flowers for inspiration as they paint. Some ideas: bring your easel outside, bring paper on clipboards, set up a large sheet of butcher paper on a fence.
*Paper Flowers
Provide a variety of materials and invite your preschooler to make flowers.
Provide: construction paper, garden magazines, chenille stems, dot markers, and edge scissors
Provide: construction paper, garden magazines, chenille stems, dot markers, and edge scissors
Honey Drizzle Process Art
Tint clear glue yellow (liquid watercolors work great for this) until it resembles honey. Pour into a small cup, and drizzle the "honey" onto yellow paper, using mini honey sticks. Once complete set it aside to dry. For added fun, add bee stickers.
More Creativity Ideas
Egg Carton Bee from Pink Stripey Sox
Sticky Window Flower Collage from No Time for Flash Cards
Design your own Flower Pot from Nurture Store
Yarn Wrapped Bee Craft from Housing a Forest
Printing Flowers with Celery from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
Sticky Window Flower Collage from No Time for Flash Cards
Design your own Flower Pot from Nurture Store
Yarn Wrapped Bee Craft from Housing a Forest
Printing Flowers with Celery from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
Add Gardening Supplies to your Dramatic Play Space this week. Add gloves, mini tools, plastic flowers and a pretend garden area. Don't forget to encourage literacy by adding old garden magazines, and catalogs to your space.
*Create a Flower Shop
Community memeber Liza created this Flower Shop using printables from the Pre-K Printable Fun Flower Shop Dramatic Play Pack. Preschoolers love to explore flowers. So many vibrant and beautiful colors. Add plastic flowers, plastic vases, cards, tissue paper, and a cash register to your space. Our flower shop dramatic play pack includes all of the labels and order forms you'll need to easily set this up in your space.
This adorable Flower Shop was created by Pre-K Fun Facebook Group Member
Jamaliah B.of My First School Family Childcare and Preschool. I love how she even added a "Delivery" Cart.
Jamaliah B.of My First School Family Childcare and Preschool. I love how she even added a "Delivery" Cart.
Pretend to be bee keepers!
The Children can have fun pretending they are Bee Keepers! Community Member Erica P. of Erica's Educare Learning Center created these fabulous hives from bankers boxes. She also created "honey comb" inserts by painting bubble wrap and adhering it to cardboard.
Community Member Victoria shared her flower shop she created using
printables from the Flower Shop Dramatic Play pack.
printables from the Flower Shop Dramatic Play pack.
Add Flowers to the Mud Kitchen
More Dramatic Play Ideas
Flowers like marigolds are great for kids gardens. The flowers need to be plucked to promote new growth, giving preschoolers an opportunity to explore flowers with all their senses...without destroying a beloved garden.
Add flowers to the Mud Kitchen! Preschoolers can mix with water to transform them into all kinds of pretend dishes.
Add flowers to the Mud Kitchen! Preschoolers can mix with water to transform them into all kinds of pretend dishes.
Pretend Play Beekeeping from Still Playing School
Beehive Dramatic Play from Kindergarteners for Congress
Beehive Dramatic Play from Kindergarteners for Congress
*Bumblebee Seek-and-FInd Alphabet Game
Practice matching uppercase letters with this Bumblebee Seek and
Find activity from the PKPF Flowers and Bees activity pack
Find activity from the PKPF Flowers and Bees activity pack
Practice Writing Left-Right
Add this Bee and Flower themed pre-writing/pre-cutting practice page from the Flowers and Bees activity pack to your writing space this week. This activity encourages preschoolers to practice writing or cutting from left to right, helping them prepare to read and write.
More Language & Literacy Ideas
Fun Books about Flowers and Bees
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Are you a Bee? By Judy Allen
The Beeman by Laurie Krebs
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Bees Like Flowers by Rebecca Bielawski
The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller
Are you a Bee? By Judy Allen
The Beeman by Laurie Krebs
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Bees Like Flowers by Rebecca Bielawski
The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller
Please Please the Bees
Please Please the Bees by Gerald Kelly is a super cute story that your preschoolers will love. Watch this read aloud by Rashida Jones. Follow up the viewing by discussing the characters in the book, the title, and author. If your preschooler doesn't recall this information, go back and watch it again! Pause when Rashida reads the title and author, and when she says the bear's name.
Parts of a Flower
Explore the parts of a flower!
This activity from the Flowers and Bees activity pack is great for reinforcing knowledge gained from reading a great book about the parts of flowers like Flowers (Plant Parts) by Vijaya Khisty Bodach
This activity from the Flowers and Bees activity pack is great for reinforcing knowledge gained from reading a great book about the parts of flowers like Flowers (Plant Parts) by Vijaya Khisty Bodach
Honeycomb Sensory Bin
Erica P. of Erica's Educare Learning Center
created this fun sensory bin using honeycomb cereal as a base.
created this fun sensory bin using honeycomb cereal as a base.
Explore Flowers with the Senses
Use touch, smell, and sight to explore flowers in the mud kitchen.
Marigolds are a great addition to preschool gardens. The flowers need to be plucked off to promote new flowers to grow.
This is a great opportunity to allow preschoolers to freely explore flowers, without tearing apart a beloved garden.
Encourage preschoolers to mix the flowers with water, see how it changes the smell and texture.
Marigolds are a great addition to preschool gardens. The flowers need to be plucked off to promote new flowers to grow.
This is a great opportunity to allow preschoolers to freely explore flowers, without tearing apart a beloved garden.
Encourage preschoolers to mix the flowers with water, see how it changes the smell and texture.
Parts of a Bee
Learn all about the parts of a bee!
Explore bee specimens up close or watch an interesting video about bees. Then see if your preschooler can label the parts of a bee.
Keep this activity in your Science Center all week.
Find this printable in the PKPF Flowers and Bees Activity Pack
Explore bee specimens up close or watch an interesting video about bees. Then see if your preschooler can label the parts of a bee.
Keep this activity in your Science Center all week.
Find this printable in the PKPF Flowers and Bees Activity Pack
Dandelion Bubbles
Invite your preschoolers to learn a little about flowers and create some bubbles.
Materials: dandelions, dish soap, water, corn syrup, measuring cups
Preparation: Choose long stemmed dandelions, cut off the top below the flower and cut off the very bottom. Rinse the stem. *You can do this part with your students if appropriate.
Set up containers with water that children can pour from, gather shallow dishes for mixing bubble solution.
Set up containers with water that children can pour from, gather shallow dishes for mixing bubble solution.
Directions:
Start this activity by learning a little more about dandelions. Choose a fun book like The Dandelion Seed by Joseph P. Anthony, and investigate dandelions.
Invite your preschoolers to create a bubble mixture. You can have a recipe ready or just let your preschoolers experiment. They can test out different formulas to see what works best.
Here is a recipe to get you started:
Here is a recipe to get you started:
- 2 cups warm water
- 1/3 cup dish soap
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
Once the bubble mixture is complete, dip the stems into the mixture, then blow through the stem to make bubbles! If your bubbles don't work, adjust your bubble formula.
Closing:
Ask your preschoolers to recall something about the experiment that they learned or would like to try again in a different way.
Ask your preschoolers to recall something about the experiment that they learned or would like to try again in a different way.
Plant Flowers
Plant flowers from seeds or seedlings with your preschooler.
Encourage your preschooler to help water the flowers in the garden.
They can observe the changes the flowers go through over time.
They can observe the changes the flowers go through over time.
More Science and Discovery Ideas
Flower Garden Play Dough from Fantastic Fun and Learning
Flower Garden Sensory Bin from Mess for Less
Investigate Flowers from Scrumdilly-do
Flower Garden Sensory Bin from Mess for Less
Investigate Flowers from Scrumdilly-do
Bee Ten Frames
Community member Erica shared a copy of the counting mats from Pre-K Printables Club Flower and Bee activity pack. She used adorable bee erasers with these ten frames.
Bee Counting Mat
Practice counting 1-20 with this cute bee mat.
This activity is included in the PKPF Flowers and Bees Activity Pack.
Use the included printable bee counters or bee erasers like these adorable ones Community Member Erica used.
This activity is included in the PKPF Flowers and Bees Activity Pack.
Use the included printable bee counters or bee erasers like these adorable ones Community Member Erica used.
Transform shapes into Flowers
Challenge preschoolers to create flowers using pattern blocks.
Flower Sorting by Color and Size
Add some color and size sorting to your math center with this flower
sorting activity from the Spring Sorting Mats activity pack.
sorting activity from the Spring Sorting Mats activity pack.
Beehive Number Sorting
Practice matching up number words, quantities and numerals with a fun Bee theme!
This activity is from the Beehive Number Sorting Pack.
This activity is from the Beehive Number Sorting Pack.
More Math Fun
Flower Counting from Little Family Fun
Flower Pot Math Game from B Inspired Mama
Color Matching from Kids Play Box
Color Matching Flower Buttons from The Kavanaugh Report
Flower Pot Math Game from B Inspired Mama
Color Matching from Kids Play Box
Color Matching Flower Buttons from The Kavanaugh Report
Consider adding: Pretend Flowers, Green Felt, Pretend Bees, and other small garden items to the construction area this week.
Move like a Bee
The song Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz) by Laurie Berkner is a super fun song that is guaranteed to motivate preschoolers to buzz around.
Sweep up a Flower
Clip cards are excellent for fine motor development and hand-eye coordination. Add these bee themed shape clip cards and clothespins to your learning centers this week. Find these in the Flowers and Bees Preschool Activities Pack.
*Bee Shape Clip Cards
Encourage your preschooler to work on their focus and attention to detail while engaging in this fine motor activity.
Pair colored sand with these Spring Fine Motor Sweeping mats.
Pair colored sand with these Spring Fine Motor Sweeping mats.
Flowers & Bees Spatial Relationships Activity
For this activity you will need:
- Paper bees or stickers
- Flower cutouts or photos
- Small basket
- Tape
Purpose:
This activity is a great way to get little bodies moving in a variety of ways, while also working on spatial relationships and learning to recognize different types of flowers.
Preparation:
Get started by taping your flower pictures or cutouts on the wall. If you have the Flowers and Bees Activity pack you can use the 3-part cards and the printable bee counters for this activity.
Place your paper bees in a small basket on the opposite side of the room, with the tape placed nearby.
Directions:
Children will go one at a time, give the child a paper bee with tape. Then, give the child two instructions; how to move and where to place the bee.
Examples:
"Jump like a frog then place your bee under the bluebell"
"Skip to the flowers and place your bee next to the yellow dandelion"
"Gallop to the flowers and place your bee above the purple iris"
This activity is a great way to get little bodies moving in a variety of ways, while also working on spatial relationships and learning to recognize different types of flowers.
Preparation:
Get started by taping your flower pictures or cutouts on the wall. If you have the Flowers and Bees Activity pack you can use the 3-part cards and the printable bee counters for this activity.
Place your paper bees in a small basket on the opposite side of the room, with the tape placed nearby.
Directions:
Children will go one at a time, give the child a paper bee with tape. Then, give the child two instructions; how to move and where to place the bee.
Examples:
"Jump like a frog then place your bee under the bluebell"
"Skip to the flowers and place your bee next to the yellow dandelion"
"Gallop to the flowers and place your bee above the purple iris"
Cutting Flowers
Practice scissor skills by cutting paper flowers. The cutting flowers activity from the Flowers and Bees Activity Pack includes a variety of flowers with straight lines and curves for preschoolers to work on mastering cutting skills.
Loose Parts
Consider adding:
- Buttons in a variety of colors
- Twigs
- Tree cookies
- Silk Scarves
- Chenille Stems
- Ribbon
- Empty cans (with safe edges)
- Seeds
More Ideas to Get Moving
Pollen transfer Activity from ABC's to ACT's
The Baby Bumble Bee Song and Movement Activity from The Inspired Treehouse
The Baby Bumble Bee Song and Movement Activity from The Inspired Treehouse
Take a Field Trip
There are all kinds of fun ways to engage in the community.
Here are three options for this theme depending on the structure of your program.
Here are three options for this theme depending on the structure of your program.
- Travel: Take a field trip to a local garden center, you may even be able to set up a workshop with a local nursery.
- Invite an Expert: Invite a Master Gardner or expert from your local nursery to talk about flowers and do an activity with your preschoolers.
- Take a virtual field trip like this one from PBS
Attendance
Having an attendance activity helps children transition in and out of the classroom.
This activity also promotes Name Recognition for preschoolers.
This Flower Attendance Activity is included in the A Year of Attendance Activities pack from PKPF
This activity also promotes Name Recognition for preschoolers.
This Flower Attendance Activity is included in the A Year of Attendance Activities pack from PKPF
Dandelion Blowing
Encourage children to use deep breaths and practice breathing exercises as a way of handling their emotions.
Gather some dandelions, or sit in a field of dandelions if you are lucky enough to have one!
Instruct preschoolers to hold their dandelion in front of them. Tell them to take a deep breath in for 3 seconds, then blow out blowing the dandelion seeds around.
Later, this strategy can be recalled when a child is struggling to regulate their emotions.
Gather some dandelions, or sit in a field of dandelions if you are lucky enough to have one!
Instruct preschoolers to hold their dandelion in front of them. Tell them to take a deep breath in for 3 seconds, then blow out blowing the dandelion seeds around.
Later, this strategy can be recalled when a child is struggling to regulate their emotions.
*Baby Bumblebee Sing and Move
Baby Bumblebee is a fun song to share with preschoolers.
You can add Bee Chip Clips or Bee Finger puppets for kids to use while singing.
Keeping cards with song choices in your circle time area is a great way to support preschoolers choosing a song for circle time.
These cards and sheets with the lyrics are part of the Fingerplays, Songs, and Rhymes Binder from PKPF
You can add Bee Chip Clips or Bee Finger puppets for kids to use while singing.
Keeping cards with song choices in your circle time area is a great way to support preschoolers choosing a song for circle time.
These cards and sheets with the lyrics are part of the Fingerplays, Songs, and Rhymes Binder from PKPF
Here is the Beehive
Here is a fun rhyme to bring to circle time from Jbrary!
*Flower Color and Roll
Pull up a chair and invite a friend to play the Flower Color and Roll activity from the Flowers and Bees Activity Pack.
Take turns rolling and coloring in the petals until each petal is colored in.
Take turns rolling and coloring in the petals until each petal is colored in.
Positional flower fun
Build listening skills, and learn new positional phrases with this fun activity! Provide each child with a real or faux flower stem (even a paper image would work). Encourage them to sit next to their flower, place the flower in front of them, place the flower behind them, etc.
Flower garden mural
Tape a large piece of blue bulletin board paper to the wall, with a green grass border on the bottom. Encourage each child to create flowers to add to the garden. Throughout the season you can add different elements, everyone can create bees, or other insects, and other items they can find in a flower garden.
Seed, Seed, Sprout
This is a fun variation on the game duck, duck, goose. Sit in a circle. Select a child to be the "gardener" and give them an empty plastic watering can. The child will walk around the circle gently tapping each classmates head, and saying "seed". Then they will select a student and pretend to water them while saying the word sprout. The student will slowly pretend to sprout, and they will switch places until everyone has had a turn.
Create a Newsletter
Create a newsletter to let parents know what's happening this week!
These Newsletter Templates are available in the Member Area for Pre-K Printabls Club Members
These Newsletter Templates are available in the Member Area for Pre-K Printabls Club Members
Parent Engagement Newsletter
The May edition of the Parent Engagement Newsletters from Pre-K Printable Fun includes a fun Flower Collecting Game for families to engage in.
If you have this pack, be sure to send home the game during Flowers and Bees week!
If you have this pack, be sure to send home the game during Flowers and Bees week!
Classroom Display
Assign each family a color, ask them to find a flower that color and take a photograph. Print the photos and display in the classroom. Get as many different colors as you can!