Uses of plants for kindergarten

At preschool, children are taught to name and identify common plants in their environment. For example, children learn to recognise different trees (oak, maple, willow, sycamore, pine, cherry, etc).

They learn about the different needs of plants i.e, the conditions plants need to grow. For example water, light, temperature, soil, nutrients and space.

The kids will be given opportunities to watch and observe plants and vegetables grow. They will plant their own seeds either in pots or on the school grounds. The kids will observe trees and plants growing in their local environment. If possible, this might be during forest school lessons, in the school garden/vegetable patch or by walks and trips to the park and woodlands depending on the school facilities. Children may use magnifying glasses to examine the parts of flowers closely.

Children also usually draw and label plants including trees and flowers. Children may keep charts, graphs and records of plant growth.

It is important for children to learn about plants and how they grow and also learn about how to care for them because it enables them to understand their environment and how nature works around them. Remember to teach your child that plants are a part of God’s creation and that He gave them to us to use for food and medicine.

Children are naturally inquisitive and they should be given the opportunity to learn about plants at an early age.