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Preschool Growing Fruits & Vegetables Lesson Planning Ideas
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This week the Children will learn about Fruits and Vegetables as well as seeds.
Be sure to plan ahead this week and purchase plenty of gardening materials.
Be sure to plan ahead this week and purchase plenty of gardening materials.
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Consider adding Fruit & Vegetable Magazine Clippings, and Stamps to your Art Space this week. Fruit Markers make a fun addition as well.
Provide heavy cardstock and encourage preschoolers to cut fruit or veggie shapes out.
Provide heavy cardstock and encourage preschoolers to cut fruit or veggie shapes out.
*Create Seed Mosaics
Supply a variety of seeds for children to create mosaics with.
Create Bottle Grapes with Bottle Caps
Create grapes from bottle caps! Visit the tutorial from Pre-K Printable Fun for more information.
Rolling Seeds Painting
Save large seeds or pits from fruit to use with for painting.
This is the same as painting with marbles. Place a piece of paper in a container with a flat bottom such as a cardboard lid or cake pan. Add a few drops of paints and then the seeds, encourage children to tilt the tray back and forth to make a print.
This is the same as painting with marbles. Place a piece of paper in a container with a flat bottom such as a cardboard lid or cake pan. Add a few drops of paints and then the seeds, encourage children to tilt the tray back and forth to make a print.
Paint with veggies
Use a potato to make stamps
Another fun idea is to use celery leaves for painting or bottoms for stamping
Another fun idea is to use celery leaves for painting or bottoms for stamping
More Art & Creativity Ideas
- Carrot Craft from Along the Way
- Corn Painting from Fun-A-Day!
- *Seed Mosaic from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
*Create a Farmers Market
Create a Farmer's Market in your Dramatic Space this week.
Add pretend Fruits & Vegetables, Baskets, Shopping Bags, a Scale, Signs and play money to your space. Member Cheryl V. made this adorable Farmer's Market space using our Farmer's Market Dramatic Play Pack. Take a closer look at this set here.
Add pretend Fruits & Vegetables, Baskets, Shopping Bags, a Scale, Signs and play money to your space. Member Cheryl V. made this adorable Farmer's Market space using our Farmer's Market Dramatic Play Pack. Take a closer look at this set here.
Build a Pretend Garden
Erica's Educare Learning Center
Community Member Erica P. created this fabulous DIY Garden. She used a large box, pool noodles, Fabric, and Border. For your space you can also add: Gardening Tools, Gloves, watering cans, laminated seeds packs
Make a Pie Stand
Do your littles have a love of baking? Transform your Dramatic Play Space into a Pie Stand!
The PKPF Pie Stand Dramatic Play Pack has all the signs and props you need to create a pie stand.
The PKPF Pie Stand Dramatic Play Pack has all the signs and props you need to create a pie stand.
*Build a Garden Box
Add materials to build a pretend garden box in your construction space this week. Provide pretend fruits and veggies, brown felt, green felt, contains, and small garden tools.
Plan to build a real garden box with children. Create a plan on paper and then work together to build it. Follow up by planting veggies and fruit in it.
Garden Glove and Watering Can Color Matching
Practice color matching with this fun garden themed file folder game. Match-up the watering cans to the same color gardening gloves. Included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Growing Fruits and Vegetables Activity pack.
Add Blueberries to the Pie
Use the blueberry pie mat and included counters, or add blue pom poms, to practice number recognition and counting! As a bonus, use tweezers to transfer the pom poms for fine motor development.
This activity is included in the PKPF Growing Fruit & Vegetables activity pack.
This activity is included in the PKPF Growing Fruit & Vegetables activity pack.
Seriation by Size with Strawberries
Practice putting items in order by size with this printable included in the PKPF Growing Fruit & Vegetables activity pack.
More Math Ideas
- Sort Fruits & Vegetables by Color from Nurturing Learning
*First Sounds Clip Cards
Practice recognizing letters and phonics with these first sounds fruit and vegetable clip cards. Included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Growing Fruits and Vegetables Activity pack.
Vegetable story and Discussion
The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons is a book that describes all different types of vegetables, what type of vegetables they are and how they grow. There are many opportunities for recall and discussion after listening to this book!
What is your favorite way to grow vegetables?
What kind of vegetables from the book do you like?
Did you learn about any new vegetables? Which ones would you like to try?
What is your favorite way to grow vegetables?
What kind of vegetables from the book do you like?
Did you learn about any new vegetables? Which ones would you like to try?
Letter Matching File Folder Game
Practice matching uppercase letters to lowercase letters with this file folder game.
**For added enrichment, try adding the letter cards to a sensory table filled with dry black beans. Children can find them in the bin and then place them on the mat. Included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Growing Fruits and Vegetables Activity pack.
**For added enrichment, try adding the letter cards to a sensory table filled with dry black beans. Children can find them in the bin and then place them on the mat. Included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Growing Fruits and Vegetables Activity pack.
More Language & Literacy Ideas
Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root and G. Brian Karas
My Garden by Kevin Henkes
The Fruits We Eat by Gail Gibbons
The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons
Soup Day: A Board Book by Melissa Iwai
My Garden by Kevin Henkes
The Fruits We Eat by Gail Gibbons
The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons
Soup Day: A Board Book by Melissa Iwai
This week is a great time to try something new to eat! Provide an assortment of fresh fruits and
vegetables for the children to try for snack this week.
vegetables for the children to try for snack this week.
*How Does it Grow Sorting
Fruits and vegetables come from all kinds of different plants. Explore some of the types of plants that different fruits & vegetables grow on with this file folder game.
Included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Growing Fruits and Vegetables Activity pack.
Included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Growing Fruits and Vegetables Activity pack.
Watch Bean Plants Sprout
Start some lima bean seeds in a plastic baggie with wet cotton balls. Tape the bags to a window for light and to observe growth.
When the seeds sprout, remove from the bag and examine the parts of the plant.
Transfer to a container with some soil for children to take home and plant or transfer to your preschool garden.
Start a Garden
Gananda Family Daycare
Start a Garden with the Children in a Re-usable Grow Bag.
This fun Garden space belongs to reader Christie Ingram of Gananda Family Daycare.
This fun Garden space belongs to reader Christie Ingram of Gananda Family Daycare.
Go on a Nature Walk
Carolyn Kropp.
Take a nature walk around the yard and look for blooms on your Fruit Trees.
These beautiful Apple blossoms belong to reader Carolyn Kropp.
These beautiful Apple blossoms belong to reader Carolyn Kropp.
Anatomy of a Kiwi
Explore inside fruit with this freebie from Pre-K Printable Fun.
See the tutorial and get your freebie on the Anatomy of a Kiwi blog post.
See the tutorial and get your freebie on the Anatomy of a Kiwi blog post.
Lemon Science Investigation
Grow Fruits & Veggies
Candasa Crumb
Carve out some space in your Outdoor area to grow Fruits and Vegetables.
These Scarlett Runner Beans belong to reader Candasa Crumb.
These Scarlett Runner Beans belong to reader Candasa Crumb.
Plan a Garden
Learning how to plan is an important skill for preschoolers. When preschoolers engage in activities that teach planning they are building a solid foundation for success in school and in life. Planning a garden with your preschooler can be a fun way to introduce planning. You can use the My Garden Plan Learn Plan and Build activity pack to plan out your garden and facilitate discussion about gardening.
Sheena W. of Building Blocks submitted these photos of her garden. She grows zucchini each year, the children help water the garden, observe growth, and help harvest.
Sensory Table
In the sensory table this week place pretend or printed & laminated fruits and veggies.
- Dry black beans (as soil)
- Dirt
- Water (wash fruit and veggies, supply scrub brush)
- Dry coffee grounds (you can get used coffee grounds for free from some coffee shops)
- Shredded newspaper
Wash Fruits and Vegetables
Set up a wash station with water and scrub brushes. Children can wash fruit or veggies for snack or practice with lemons, limes, and oranges. Then use these to make a yummy juice or smoothie.
Use this activity to talk about the importance of washing produce before consuming.
Use this activity to talk about the importance of washing produce before consuming.
More Science & Discovery Ideas
- Fruit Scented Dough from The 36th Avenue
- Seed Sorting from Fantastic Fun and Learning
Explore Fruit with your senses from Kids Play Box - Veggie Garden Sensory Bin from Modern Parents Messy Kids
- 25+ Kids Gardening Ideas from Lessons Learnt Journal
- Explore which foods have seeds from Funtastic Fun and Learning
- *Grow Carrots in a Bottle from My Buddies and I
- Grow a Garden in a Glove from Zweber Family Farms
- Start Vegetable Seeds Indoors from Gananda Family Daycare
*Sort Seeds by Size using Tweezers
Provide seeds of different sizes and some tweezers. Preschoolers can sort the seeds while building hand strength.
*I Spy a Fruit & Vegetable Game
Travel around the yard, neighborhood or garden center to see what fruits and vegetables you can find!
Bring along the I Spy checklist from the PKPF Growing Fruit and Vegetables Activity Pack.
Bring along the I Spy checklist from the PKPF Growing Fruit and Vegetables Activity Pack.
*Digging in Mud
Digging around in mud or wet soil is a serious workout for little arms! Provide a space in the garden or fill up the sensory bin.
Fruit & Veggie Pick-up
Free Printable
Encourage preschoolers to move while learning about fruits and veggies.
Get this free set of cards from PKPF and pair with pretend fruits and veggies for this movement activity.
Get your freebie here.
Get this free set of cards from PKPF and pair with pretend fruits and veggies for this movement activity.
Get your freebie here.
Harvesting Fruit and Vegetables
For this activity you can use inexpensive pretend fruit and veggies, colored balls to represent them, or printable cards like the ones above.
This activity is perfect for outdoor play. Attach apples to trees (or other tall places children can reach stretching up on their tippy toes, and potatoes (rocks would be a good choice) in the soil or sandbox, carrots sticking out of soil etc. Choose places that encourage children to stretch, crawl, dig, squat...get those little bodies moving!
Place a basket in a central location for children to place their produce in.
This activity is perfect for outdoor play. Attach apples to trees (or other tall places children can reach stretching up on their tippy toes, and potatoes (rocks would be a good choice) in the soil or sandbox, carrots sticking out of soil etc. Choose places that encourage children to stretch, crawl, dig, squat...get those little bodies moving!
Place a basket in a central location for children to place their produce in.
Sing and Move
Sing and move to Hot Potato from The Wiggles.
Follow up by playing a round of hot potato!
Follow up by playing a round of hot potato!
Growing Fruits & Vegetables takes a lot patience and planning.
Preschoolers are learning all about both of these important skills. Utilize this theme engage in activities, stories, and discussions that emphasize these skills.
Preschoolers are learning all about both of these important skills. Utilize this theme engage in activities, stories, and discussions that emphasize these skills.
Planning and Patience
Planting a garden requires planning, and A LOT of patience!
Join Lola in the book Lola Plants a Garden, by Anna McQuinn, as she plans and plants a garden. This story is great for sparking a discussion about patience in preschoolers.
Encourage preschoolers to share about a time they had to be patient. Ask them to share ways they practice being patient.
Join Lola in the book Lola Plants a Garden, by Anna McQuinn, as she plans and plants a garden. This story is great for sparking a discussion about patience in preschoolers.
Encourage preschoolers to share about a time they had to be patient. Ask them to share ways they practice being patient.
*Roll a Garden Game
This activity is great to play with a friend to practice taking turns. Roll the playing cube to add pieces to the garden.
Included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Growing Fruits and Vegetables Activity pack.
Included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Growing Fruits and Vegetables Activity pack.
Feelings about Patience
Preschoolers are busy people! They are learning so much and developing at an incredibly rapid rate. It can be hard to stand still and be patient.
Take time this week to talk about feelings that come arise when trying to be patient and what children can do with these feelings. Here are some examples you can talk about with your preschooler
Take time this week to talk about feelings that come arise when trying to be patient and what children can do with these feelings. Here are some examples you can talk about with your preschooler
- Frustration when waiting for a turn
- Anger when they can't do what they want
- Boredom when waiting in line
Make a class book about patience. Read the following sentences (or create your own), ask children for responses. Record their responses then create a book for the classroom.
- I feel frustrated when....
- When I'm frustrated I can feel better by....
- I feel angry when....
- When I'm angry I can....
- I feel bored when...
- When I feel bored I can...
Be ready to support children during this discussion. Perhaps display a poster about feelings and bring classroom resources you have available for managing emotions such as a Calm Down binder or items from your Calm Down Space.
Where in the World Does it Grow?
Many fruits and vegetables grow best in a particular environment. This theme is an excellent time to talk about climates around the world and where much of the fruit and vegetables children eat come from.
From Field to Fork
Watch a fascinating video about how potatoes go from growing on a farm to being ready for eating.
My Garden Fingerplay
Learn this fingerplay to share with your preschoolers during circle time. Easily change the words to "vegetable seeds" or leave as is.
Be A Seed
Here is a fun Spring Rhyme for circle time
Where Does it Grow?
Use the 3-part vocabulary cards from the PKPF Growing Fruits and Vegetables activity pack or pretend fruit and vegetables along with the Where Does It Grow sorting mat from this pack.
Place the mat on the floor and the fruit & veggie cards or toys in a basket. You can invite children to pass around the basket to take turns taking a fruit or veggie or hide them around the room or simply have a free for all.
As children select their fruit or veggie encourage them to identify it, then try to guess if it grows on a tree, bush, or in the soil.
Provide support as needed! Keep a gardening book nearby as a resource to use as needed.
Place the mat on the floor and the fruit & veggie cards or toys in a basket. You can invite children to pass around the basket to take turns taking a fruit or veggie or hide them around the room or simply have a free for all.
As children select their fruit or veggie encourage them to identify it, then try to guess if it grows on a tree, bush, or in the soil.
Provide support as needed! Keep a gardening book nearby as a resource to use as needed.
Ask clients if they have extra gardening supplies to donate (Pots, used trowels, small gloves, etc.)
Community Garden
Ask families to help contribute to the creation of a community garden in your preschool. You can build a large garden box or use large pots.
Parents can contribute by donating their time or materials.
Parents can contribute by donating their time or materials.
Stone Soup
Ask each family to bring in a vegetable to contribute to making lunch one day. Work together to create stone soup. Read the book Stone Soup before this activity for added enrichment.
As a follow-up be sure to add plenty of pretend fruits and veggies to the housekeeping area as well as some bigger pots for pretend play.
