Songs and Fingerplays:
Flower Garden- Submitted by Sherry
The farmer plants the seeds
Extra Verses:
The rain begins to fall
I'm a Little Flower Pot- Submitted by Sherry
I'm a little flower pot Mom put out
If you take care of me, I will sprout.
When you water me, I will grow
Into a pretty flower, don't you know!
I'm a Little Flower Seed- Submitted by Sherry
I'm a little flower seed
I'll Plant a Little Seed- Submitted by Sherry
I'll plant a little seed in the dark, dark ground.
Planting Time- Submitted by Sherry
Dig, dig, dig the earth
A Little Sun- Submitted by Sherry
A little sun
The Gardner Plants the Seeds- Submitted by Sherry
The gardener plants the seeds
The rain clouds give them water
The sun gives heat and light
The gardener pulls the weeds
The seeds grow into flowers
Seeds- Submitted by Sherry
Dig a hole deep in the ground
Down in the Garden- Submitted by Sherry
Down in the garden, early in the morning
Out in My Garden- Submitted by Sherry
Out in my garden
Activities- Submitted by Sherry
Dancing Flowers- Submitted by Sherry
**
Tissue paper flowers- fold colored tissue paper accordian style, twist a pipe cleaner in the middle and fold out) Add perfume if you like.
**
Decorate flower pots. Stickers for the plastic ones, color paper cups,
paint clay pots. Plant seeds that grow well like Marigolds and beans. Beans are easier to see but more dangerous if eaten or shoved in a nose! Eek.
**
Make a vegetable patch - let your child decide what to grow we did root vegetables as well as vines (peas) and corn, then they can discuss the different ways vegetable are grown.
We didn't end up with a huge harvest but they boys loved it and really
enjoy harvesting everything and cooking it for dinner.
**
Each year we let the children plant potatoes, corn, watermelon and
pumpkin. They dig the holes, drop the seeds and cover them up. Because fertilizer is to harsh for their skin we do that part. They water their plants 3 times a week and watch for them to grow. The real joy of the garden is watching these preschoolers dig their potatoes , pull corn and pick which watermelon they want for snack. When the pumpkin are ready they go out a get their own pumpkin to carve for Halloween. Their actions and expressions make it all worth it.
Colorful Flowers- Submitted by Sherry
This is a fun and simple project to do with the kids that involves
flowers and can teach them about how a flower takes in food and water.The kids will have fun over the next few days watching the flowers slowly change
color!
First you would need some white daisies and regular food colors. Fill
a vase or glass with water and add a couple of drops of food coloring.
Then place some daisies in the colored water and as they absorb the
water, they absorb the food coloring changing the color of the flower. If you would like a colorful bouquet use a couple of different glasses and color some
daisies in each color. The kids will have fun over the next few days watching the flowers slowly change color!
Grassy Caterpillars- Submitted by Sherry
Give each child a clean knee-high stocking. In a pail mix potting soil
and grass seed. (Go heavy on the seed.) Let each child fill his stocking
with potting soil/seed mix. tie off end. Place on a styrofoam tray
and set in window sill. You can add extra large wiggle eyes to one end. Keep moist with spray bottles. Children can give their caterpillars a haircut when the grass gets too long.
Dirt and Flower Pot Cake- Submitted by Sherry
Can be made in one large pot (as directed here) or can double recipe and
make individual tiny pots for each child
1/4 cup margarine, softened,
8 oz. cream cheese, softened,
1 Cup powdered sugar,
3 1/2 cups milk,
2 pkgs (3 1/2 oz. each) instant vanilla pudding,
12 oz. thawed whipped topping,
1 pkg (20 oz) Oreo Cookies, crushed,
1 8 inch plastic flower pot (or use tiny pots for individual servings)
Decorations for cake such as gummy worms, flowers, children's gardening
tools. SERVE WITH SMALL TROWEL
Cream marg, cream cheese and powdered sugar. In another bow, mix milk,
pudding and whipped topping. Combine both mixtures. If bottom of pot has drain hole, plug with small piece of foil. Put 1/3 of the cookie crumbs in
bottom of pot. Add 1/2 filling mixture, top with a 1/3 of the cookies
and add remaining filling. Top cake with remaining cookies. Refrigerate
overnight. Before serving, add plastic flowers, worms, etc. on top.
Serve with garden digger.
**
Submitted by Sherry
Have kids make a theme garden. For a salad garden plant tomatoes,
lettus, cucumbers,carrots and other salad fillers. Or maybe a pizza
garden tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers etc. For smaller area use a
galvonized bucked and plant one kind of plant in it. For example
tomatoes. One the can paint the word tomatoe then make a cute face w/ a
tomatoe as the nose.
Make a garden scrap book. Take pictures of the kids during the whole
process. Press the seed packets. plus a journal for the kids to write
down thoughts/progress of their garden.
**
Jack and the Beanstalk- Submitted by Sherry
Plant a bean in soil. Don't forget to water it. Watch it grow.
Another option: Soak bean for an hour or so. Place a damp paper towel in a bottle. Place the soften seed in the bottle. Watch it grow. Don't forget to water it.
**
(Sung to "The Farmer in the Dell")
The farmer plants the seeds
Hi Ho and Cheery O
The farmer plants the seeds.
The sun begins to shine
The plants begin to grow
The flowers smile at us
(Sung to "I'm a Little Teapot")
(Sung To "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'm planted in the earth.
I feel the sun come down on me
To warm this big old earth.
The rain begins to come and gets rid
of my thirst
I then become a big and pretty flower,
won't you pick me first.
(Sung to "I'm a Little Teapot")
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round.
Down comes the cool rain, soft and slow.
Up comes the little seed, grow, grow, grow.
(Sung to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")
Then you plant your seeds
A gentle rain
And bright sunshine
Will help your flowers grow.
A little rain
Now pull up all the weeds
Our flowers grow,
all in a row
From tiny little seeds.
(Sung to "The Farmer in the Dell")
The gardener plants the seeds
Deep down inside the ground
The gardener plants the seeds.
The rain clouds give them water
Seeds need some water to drink
The rain clouds give them water.
The sun gives heat and light
Seeds like it warm and bright
The sun gives heat and light.
The gardener pulls the weeds
Seeds need the room to grow
The gardener pulls the weeds.
The seed grow into flowers
Flowers that are beautiful
The seeds grow into flowers.
(Sung to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star")
Spread some tiny seeds around.
Pat them down, so they will keep
They are lying fast asleep
Rain will help the seeds to grow
Sunshine keeps them warm I know.
(Sung to "Down by the Station")
See the yellow daffodils all in a row.
See them lift there heads and
Give their horns a blow
Toot, toot, toot, toot, off they go.
(Sung to "Down by the Station")
Early in the morning
See the little vegetable all in a row.
See the row of carrots
And the row of peas
Water, hoe, grow, grow
In my garden please.
I have a toy that has sound and motion activated dancing flowers, that I put out
for this theme.
Potato Theme- Submitted by Patrisha
One potato, two potato,
Poke tooth picks in the sides of a sweet potato and suspend in a glass of water with the bottom of the potato just touching the water. Keep in light but out of the sun until rooted, in about 1 month plant in soil.
Five Little Potatoes
5 Little Potatoes growing in the ground,
Sorting Potatoes
Place several types shapes and sizes of potatoes in a basket. Have the children sort them and describe how they decided where the potatoes go.
Potato Printing
cut potatoes in half and carve out shapes into flesh, then dip in paint and print onto paper. looks really good if the whole paper is covered with rows of printing, also white paint on black paper is effective.
MR. POTATO HEAD Use a real potato. Use toothpicks to attach pieces of other vegetables to the potato, to make the eyes, nose and mouth, hat and feet.
Veggie printing in paint Cut veggie in half and stamp.
CREATIVE FUN WITH POTATOES
a.. Potatoes
WHAT YOU DO:
a.. Have available a medium sized potato for each child.
Make vegetable pictures by filling in an outline of a vegetable with dried beans or seeds.
Vegetable Fingerpaints Fingerpaint on paper. When dry, cut out shapes of veg.
Vegetable Book Use construction paper folded in half for a book. Have the children glue pictures of vegetables in it.
Vegetable Rattles place spoonful of birdseed in balloons - inflate – cover in paper mache - let dry - pop balloon – paint as favorite veggie.
Cut up a few kinds of squash and place pieces (seeds, strings and
all) in the sensory table for exploration.
Have pictures of several kinds of fruits and vegies; children sort according to the part we eat, stem, leaves, seed, root, flower, and fruit.
Click on the "Back" Button to go back to
Three potato, four,
Five potato, six potato,
Seven potato, more.
Eight potato, nine potato.
Here is ten.
Now let's count
All over again.
Covered up with soft brown earth,
making not a sound.
Down came the rain one stormy summer day.
The 5 little potatoes went underground
and slept the day away.
Out came the sun.
The farmer came out too.
Dug those 5 potatoes up
and gave them to me & you.
b.. Cotton balls
c.. White glue or paste
d.. Containers for the glue.
e.. A covered work area.
b.. Children can dip cotton balls into a tray of white glue or paste.
c.. Next, your kinder artists can glue the cotton balls onto the potato to create hair, arms and legs.
d.. The children will enjoy this activity any time of year. e.. If you are feeling adventurous, bring out some paint or magic markers and let your kinder artists color
the potato people.
Acitivities Submitted by Christi
Fruit and vegie bingo. Make your own cards with stamps or stickers or
freehand drawing
the PnF Main Theme and Curriculum Pages