As we move into autumn, you might notice that plants are being to make seeds, instead of flowers. This is a great time to learn about this part of a plant's life cycle with children and we've lots of great ideas here for you to enjoy at home or in your Early Years setting.
We also have a printable version of our Learning About Seeds Early Years Planning Sheet here, available in colour or a more printer friendly, black and white version.
In the UK, we focus on seven areas of development. Here are some ideas for you to bring in a seeds topic with younger children. Scroll down for a printable version.
Communication
- Cut open a range of fruits and ask the children to describe what they can see. Look at the seeds. Discuss with the children what they are and if they have other words for them, e.g. pip. Ask the children what they already know about seeds and what they do.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Talk about the seeds that we eat and the seeds that we don't eat. Why are seeds healthy food options?
Physical
- Set up a tuff tray with soil, plants, seeds, jugs, spoons and tools so that children can dig and pour.
- Make bean mandalas which helps children to develop their fine motor skills by picking up small objects.
- Another way to help develop fine motor skills is our bird seed activity which uses paintbrushes to move bird seeds around.
Literacy
- Read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.
- Tell the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. We have lots of fun Jack and the Beanstalk activities. You could use these finger puppets to help you with your story telling.
- S is for seed. Use seeds to make a letter S. What else begins with s? You could create a scavenger hunt where the children hunt for toys and objects that begin with s. We have a whole page of Letter S activities here.
Maths
- Buy a packet of mixed seeds. Pour them out and sort through them. Can they sort the seeds into piles? Which ones are the biggest? Which are the smallest?
- Make seed cakes.
- Try our acorn dot to dot.
Understanding the World
- What do seeds need to grow? Grow some cress and watch how quickly it can grow in the right conditions.
- Go on a seed spotting walk in the local area. You might be surprised at how many different types of seeds you find.
- Do you have access to a sunflower? You can look at (and collect) its seeds, or leave a sunflower head out for the birds to feed on. We have a section on the life cycle of a sunflower here.
- What eats seeds? Make a pine cone bird feeder.
Expressive Arts
- Collect seeds and use them to create a collage.
- Use seeds to create shakers and other musical instruments.
- Ask the children to pretend that they are seeds and curl up in tiny balls. Create a dance that shows the plant growing.
Printable Planning Sheet
You can download a printable version of this planning sheet here:
More Related Activities
Tuesday, 27th September 2022
