Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will learn all about mushrooms and why they are so cool!

Materials and Prep

Materials: A notebook, colored pencils, a magnifying glass, and a small mushroom if available.

Prep: Find a safe outdoor spot to explore mushrooms together.

Activities

• Go on a mushroom hunt in your backyard or a nearby park. Use the magnifying glass to examine different mushrooms you find.

• Draw pictures of the mushrooms you discover in your notebook using the colored pencils. Be creative!

• If you have a small mushroom, observe its different parts - cap, stem, and gills. Talk about why mushrooms are different from plants.

Talking Points

• "Mushrooms are like nature's recyclers. They help break down old plants and trees to make soil for new plants to grow!"

• "Did you know that some mushrooms are edible and delicious, like the ones we find in pizzas? But be careful, some mushrooms are poisonous, so we never eat them unless we are sure they are safe!"

• "Mushrooms don't have leaves, roots, or seeds like plants. They absorb nutrients from the environment and reproduce by releasing spores!"