Best Plant Activities for Kids: 40 Ideas by a Teacher (2024)

April 21, 2022

Updated: December 28, 2023

Hello, caregiver of a budding botanist! If you’re looking for hands-on learning about plants, I share 40 of my favorites in this blog post. Each of these activities is open-ended and meant for older toddlers and preschoolers.

And if you’re here for worksheets, I’m sorry you’re in the wrong place. I truly believe preschoolers and toddlers learn best during engaging, sensory-rich play. Personally, the only thing I would recommend a worksheet for is to use in one of thesetearing paper activities.

Parts of a Plant Activities

Flower Dissection

Materials:

• Flowers with stems + roots
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Muffin tin

Set out materials on the table and give children a chance to explore the different parts of the flower. They can use scissors, tweezers, or fingers to break open the flower. While they explore, introduce vocabulary such as:

• stem
• petals
• leaves
• roots
• seeds

For older preschoolers with experience with flowers, you can name lesser-known parts of the plant, such as:

• stamen
• sepals
• pistel
• anther

Flower Collage

Materials:

• Variety of flowers
• Clear contact paper
• OR construction paper + glue

Use flowers and flower parts to create a textured nature collage.

Dissecting Bell Peppers

Materials:

• Bell peppers (various colors and sizes, including baby bell peppers)
• Tweezers
• Muffin tin
• Plastic knives or Montessori knives

Slice a bell pepper in half and set it out for your child to explore. Talk about the bell pepper’s seeds, stem, and skin.

During snack time, you can try this activity and talk about how the pepper tastes.

Play Dough Sculptures

Materials:

• Twigs
• Flower petals
• Seeds
• Tiny pinecones
• Tiny, sliced wood cookies
• Leaves with stems
• Play dough

Set out the nature items in an eye-catching way, such as sorted on a tray. Set out the dough and encourage your child to explore using nature objects to create art sculptures.

While they create, you can talk about the nature objects and how they came from plants.

Mud Pie Decorating

Materials:

• Mud
• Pie pans
• Tongs
• Variety of seeds
• Variety of flowers
• Variety leaves

Add another level of creativity to the mud kitchen. Offer your child nature objects to decorate their mud pies. Take a moment to talk about where each nature item came from and mud’s role in the plant life cycle.

Seed Activities for Preschoolers + Toddlers

Birdseed Scoop + Pour

Materials:

• Sensory bin
• Bag of birdseed
• Scoops
• Cups

If you’re looking for a plant-centered sensory bin, I recommend picking up a bag of birdseed. This is an often-overlooked natural sensory bin option.

Once the appeal of scooping and pouring wears off, you can enhance the sensory bin with toy animals, jars with lids, funnels, or various sizes of sifters.

Seed Sorting

Materials:

• Birdseed
• Variety of seed packets
• Flax seeds, sunflower seeds, corn kernals etc.
• Muffin tins
• Tweezers

Seed sorting is an emergent math and science activity for toddlers and preschoolers. It also has the benefit of being more sensory-rich than sorting plastic bears.

A mixed bag of birdseed will have a nice variety of seeds. But you can add to it by snagging a handful of seeds from your pantry or the garden section at the store too.

Bean Sorting

Materials:

• Variety of dry beans
• Tweezers
• Muffin tin

A bag of mixed dry beans can turn into a perfect all-natural sorting opportunity—sort by size, color, and shape.

For preschoolers who are beginning to recognize letters, you can also make labels for each type of bean. A simple way is writing on a paper plate or paper towel.

Seed Sensory Bottles

Materials:

• Variety of seed packets
• Birdseed
• Empty plastic bottles with lids

Once the appeal of sorting, scooping, and pouring beans and seeds wears off, your child can turn them into sensory bottles.

Use this activity to talk about the different sounds each sensory bottle makes depending on the size and amount of seeds.

You can also offer beads, bells, and other tiny items to mix into the sensory bottles.

Pinecone Painting

Materials:

• Variety of pinecones
• Paint
• Paintbrushes

This three-dimensional painting activity will test your child’s fine motor skills and attention.

As an alternative, you can dip pinecones into cups of paint. Let pinecones dry and then dip again to add layers of color and texture.

Pinecone Sorting

Materials:

• Variety of pinecones (types + sizes)
• OR usepainted pineconesfor more variety
• Trays

Yes, more ways to explore natural objects through sorting and classifying. Toddlers and younger preschoolers can learn about pinecones’ sizes, shapes, and weight. Older preschoolers may be interested in learning how pinecones work and the tree each different pinecone came from.

Play Dough Prints

Materials:

• Play dough
• Leaves
• Bark
• Flowers
• Acorns
• Pinecones

Dough prints are another way to explore the shapes and textures of different plants. Show children how to gently press the items into the play dough. Once the item is lifted, children can explore the print left behind.

Once children are familiar with the different prints, they can use this information to add texture to their play dough creations. This can be an entirely new activity using the same materials.

Pinecones in Water

Materials:

• Clear jars
• Pinecones
• Hot water
• Cold Water
• Towel

A pinecone’s scales will open and close to release the seeds inside them. Children can explore how pinecones open and close using water. Then they can observe what happens once the pinecones dry in the air on a towel.

Pay attention to see if pinecones close quicker in cold or hot water.

Heads up: You may need to heat pinecones in the oven ahead of time to open them up for this activity.

Tree Activities

Bark Rubbings

Materials:

• Paper, preferably roll of paper
• Masking tape
• Crayons or Chalk
• Oh, and a tree

Explore the textures of tree bark in this activity. Begin by taping paper onto the tree or unroll paper to wrap around the tree’s trunk. Make sure the paper is hung at child’s eye-level.

Use crayons or chalk to gently press and rub the paper, revealing the patterns of the bark beneath it.

Painting Branches

Materials:

• Medium to large-sized branch
• Paint
• Paintbrushes

Branch painting is another three-dimensional art activity. Place the branch on a table, along with cups of paint and paintbrushes. As children paint, talk about the textures of the bark and the size and shape of the branch.

In a classroom setting, children can work together to paint the branch. Then display the finished product as a group art project.

Painting with Pine Needles

Materials:

• Clusters of pine needles
• Paint
• Plates
• Paper

Have you seen the photos of DIY paintbrushes with different plants? Pine needles are conveniently already in the shape of a paintbrush, so save yourself the trouble!

Children can explore the different textures and marks that pine needles make. They can explore making paint strokes or prints on the paper.

Leaf Activities

Leaf Collage

Materials:

• Variety of leaves and pine needles
• Clear contact paper
• OR construction paper + glue

Use a variety of leaves to make a textured nature collage.

Leaf Confetti Art

Materials:

• Variety of leaves
• Paper hole punch
• Tray
• Glue
• Construction paper

Leaf confetti is slightly less messy than glitter, but at least biodegradable. Use a hole punch to make dozens of tiny circles. Add glue to the paper and sprinkle the leaf confetti onto the glue.

Most toddlers and preschoolers should be able to use the hole punch, with supervision. They may even get entirely absorbed in punching holes that you can save the art activity for later.

Leaf Sensory Bin

Materials:

• Sensory bin
• Variety of leaves
• Tweezers or tongs
• Bowls
• Possible additions:
  • Water
  • Twigs
  • Pinecones
  • Scissors

Use leaves as a nature-based sensory bin experience. Depending on the season, your sensory bin will look different.

• Buds and bright green leaves in the spring.
• Thicker, dark green leaves in the summer.
• Colorful leaves and crunchy leaves in the fall.

Seaweed Sensory

Materials:

• Sensory bin
• Seaweed
• Possible additions:
  • Scissors
  • Tongs
  • Toy water creatures

I’ll be honest, I was proud when I thought of this activity. It’s such a unique plant activity! How often do kids get to investigate seaweed?

Personally, I do not want to reach into the water to pull out seaweed to explore. I’m having full-body chills imagining it. But this is the free option.

The other option is to buy dry seaweed at the grocery. Check out the Asian food section for nori, wakame, kombu, dulse, or hijiki.

These dry seaweeds will rehydrate in the water of a sensory bin. Each will have a unique texture for kids to explore.

Leaf Painting

Materials:

• Variety of leaves shapes and sizes
• Paint
• Plates
• Alternative:
  • Paint directly on large leaves

Use leaves as paintbrushes or to make prints on paper.

Leaf Texture Rubbings

Materials:

• Variety of leaves
• Paper
• Crayons or chalk
• Masking tape

Explore the textures and features of a leaf by doing leaf rubbings.

Chlorophyll Leaf Rubbings

Materials:

• Variety of green leaves
• White paper

In this activity, children will press, smash, and scrub leaves against white paper to release a green color. Talk about how the green substance called chlorophyll helps leaves get energy and nutrients from the sun.

Flower Activities

Flower Shop Prop Box

Materials:

• Variety of artificial flowers and leaves
• Plastic vases
• Floral foam
• Ribbons

Create a prop box of flower shop items for children to use for pretend play. Keep an eye on how they use the materials, and you can get an idea for more props to add.

• Money and a cash register?
• Gardening supplies?
• Hats?
• Wreaths?
• Rubber bands and pipecleaners?

Flower Bouquets with Strainer/Colander

Materials:

• Variety of flowers with stems – real or artificial
• Strainer/colander

These materials could be used as another small prop box to extend a dramatic play activity. Toddlers and younger preschoolers may be more interested in the action of inserting the stems into the holes of the strainer/colander; no pretend play needed.

Dried Flower Sensory

Materials:

• Variety of flowers
• String
• Rubber bands

I am no expert on drying flowers. A little research says the best option is to hang them upside down, tied together, in a dry warm space like a closet. An alternative is to press them between paper towels inside of heavy books.

No matter which option you choose, flowers become an entirely different sensory experience once dry. Children can dissect them, add them to sensory bins, decorate mud pies, or create sensory bottles. They are a beautiful, unique natural loose part material.

Dried Flower Art

Materials:

• Variety of flowers
• String
• Rubber bands
• Cardboard or construction paper
• Glue

After drying flowersusing one of the methods above, you can set out the dried flowers for children to use as art materials.

Flower Petal Sensory Bin

Materials:

• Variety of flower petals – real or artificial
• Sensory bin
• Tweezers or tongs
• Muffin tin
• Alternatives:
  • Water + slotted spoon

Add flower petals to a sensory bin for toddlers and preschoolers to explore.

Flower Confetti Art

Materials:

• Flowers
• Hole punch
• Glue
• Construction paper

Flower petal confetti is less messy than glitter and biodegradable. Use a hole punch to make dozens of tiny circles. Add glue to the paper and sprinkle the flower petal confetti onto the glue.

Most toddlers and preschoolers should be able to use the hole punch, with supervision. They may even get entirely absorbed in punching holes that you can save the art activity for later.

Flower Ice Cubes

Materials:

• Ice cube tray
• Water
• Variety of flowers + flower petals
• Sensory bin
  • Eyedropper
  • Tongs
  • Tweezers

Place small flowers and flower petals into ice cube trays. Fill with water and freeze.

Once the flower ice cubes are frozen, you can set them out for children to investigate or add them to a sensory bin.

Painting with Dandelions

Materials:

• Fully bloomed dandelions
• White paper
• Markers

Similar to the chlorophyll painting with leaves, dandelions are a natural paint material for toddlers and preschoolers to explore. They can press, smash, or rub the yellow dandelions on the white paper, discovering a yellow color.

Dyeing Flower Experiment

Materials:

• White flowers (daisies, carnations, etc.)
• Clear jars or bottles
• Water
• Food color

Keep an eye on the discount flower rack at the store for white flowers.

Once you have flowers, help kids add a few drops of food coloring to water in clear jars. Trim the stems of the white flowers and place them in the water.

Check in over the next couple of days to watch as the color reaches the flower petals.

Dissecting Giant Sunflowers

Materials:

• Giant sunflower
• Tweezers
• Tray or newspaper

Once the back of the sunflower head changes color from a bright green to a brownish-yellow, the seeds are ready to harvest. Place the sunflower on a tray or newspaper and let your child investigate removing the seeds.

Gardening + Planting Activities

Soil + Seed Sensory Bin

Materials:

• Non-toxic potting soil
• Shovel
• Seeds
• Flower pots
• Nursery containers

Fill a sensory bin with non-toxic potting soil. Then add gardening props such as seed packets, flower pots, nursery containers, and gardening tools.

Listen and observe how your child plays with the bin to find ideas on how to extend their play.

• Toy bugs?
• Wormlike fishing lures?
• Plant tags?

Planting Seeds

Materials:

• Non-toxic potting soil
• Flower pots
• Seeds
• Water

As someone without the time or passion for growing plants, I can’t give advice on raising seeds into baby sprouts. Still, planting seeds and growing plants is a powerful way to help children connect with nature.

Follow directions on seed packets or grow kits to plant seeds with your toddler or preschooler. Talk about how to care for the seeds with nutrient-rich soil, water, and

sunshine.

Bean Sprouts

Materials:

• Sealable plastic bag (Ziploc)
• Damp paper towel
• Dry pinto bean
• Masking tape
• Sunny window

Here is a sprout experiment I can usually handle. Best of luck to my fellow gardening strugglers!

1. Dampen a paper towel with water and place a dry pinto bean on top.
2. Slide the paper towel with the bean into a sealable plastic bag.
3. Choose your sunny window.
4. Tape the plastic bag up where the bean can soak up the sun.
5. Check on the bean each day and keep the paper towel damp.
6. After a few days, you should see the bean crack open and sprout.

Ask your child what ideas they have for what to do with the sprout.

Plant for Pollinators

Materials:

• Seeds from the Attracting Pollinators List

Plant according to instructions on your native plant seed packet. Use this opportunity to talk about how plants and pollinators depend on each other. This is a perfect way to teach children about how the parts of nature are interconnected.

Raise an Indoor Plant

Materials:

• Low-maintenance indoor plant
• Paper
• Pen

Caring for a plant builds nurturing skills in children. Again, I am not a gardener. I did find this list about Hard-To-Kill Houseplants.

Once you pick a plant and bring it home (or into the classroom), it’s time to write the steps to care for it. Involve your child in creating an age-appropriate to do list for caring for your plant.

Other ways to interact with Your plant:

• naming your plant
• talking about your plants characteristics
• discussing what your plant needs to grow

Nature Walk Plant Activities

Plant Scavenger Hunt

Materials:

• None

I adore scavenger hunts to help children connect with nature. Go outside and encourage your child to find as many plants as they can. Use the opportunity to talk about the parts of plants, how they grow, and why they are important.

You can also create a plant scavenger hunt that features plants in your area. Here is my blank scavenger hunt template to get your started.

Barefoot Grass Walk

Materials:

• Grass!

Time for a wonderful outdoor sensory experience! Encourage your toddler to take off their shoes and socks and then walk barefoot across the grass. Talk about how the green grass has roots down into the dirt. Ask open-ended questions while your child explores how the grass feels.

Name Your Favorite Plant or Tree

Materials:

• Nature
• Yarn

While on a nature walk, look for interesting or unusual plants and trees. Find one that captures your child’s eye, then talk about its characteristics. Ask your child, “What would be a perfect name for this tree? Why?”

If you can, mark the tree with a small piece of yarn so you can remember which tree or plant it is. Now you can find your plant friend again on a future visit.

There you have it—forty plant activities for preschool and toddlers. I hope you find your child’s or your classroom’s next favorite plant activity.

Also, I should point out that I live in the Midwest United States. Let me know if you have any fantastic plant activities with plants native to your home on this earth. Comment below!