Parts of a Plant for Kids: Fun Lesson Plan with Craft & Snack

Engage preschoolers and kindergarteners with this complete lesson plan for teaching the parts of a plant. Includes a hands-on craft, a fun song, and a healthy snack activity to learn about roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.

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My Super Plant Adventure!

Materials Needed

  • A small, safe, non-toxic potted plant (like a marigold, basil, or violet) with visible roots, stem, leaves, and a flower if possible.
  • A large sheet of construction paper (blue for the sky or brown for the background).
  • Brown yarn or string (for roots).
  • A green pipe cleaner or a strip of green paper (for the stem).
  • Green construction paper (for leaves).
  • Colorful tissue paper, cupcake liners, or pom-poms (for the flower).
  • Child-safe glue or a glue stick.
  • A small plate for snack time.
  • Snack ingredients: celery stick (stem), spinach or lettuce leaves (leaves), shredded carrots (roots), and a cauliflower or broccoli floret (flower).

Learning Goals (What we'll learn)

  • To identify and name the four main parts of a plant: roots, stem, leaves, and flower.
  • To understand the very basic job of each part (e.g., "Roots drink the water!").
  • To practice fine motor skills by tearing paper, handling yarn, and gluing.
  • To build our own model of a plant using different materials.

Lesson Activities (What we'll do)

Introduction: Meet the Plant! (5 minutes)

  1. The Mystery Guest: Place the potted plant on the table, perhaps covered with a small cloth. Tell your child, "We have a special guest today! It's very quiet, it loves sunshine, and it gets thirsty. Can you guess what it is?"
  2. Reveal and Sing: Uncover the plant with a flourish! Sing a simple song to the tune of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes":
    "Flowers, Stems, Leaves, and Roots,
    Leaves and Roots!
    Flowers, Stems, Leaves, and Roots,
    Leaves and Roots!
    These are the parts of a plant we know,
    That help it live and help it grow!
    Flowers, Stems, Leaves, and Roots,
    Leaves and Roots!"

Activity 1: Plant Investigation (10 minutes)

  1. Gentle Touch: Encourage your child to gently touch the different parts of the real plant as you name them. Use simple, descriptive language.
  2. The Flower: Point to the flower. "This is the flower. It's so pretty and colorful! It makes the seeds." Gently sniff the flower together.
  3. The Leaves: Touch a leaf. "This is a leaf. The leaves eat the sunshine to make food for the plant! Are they smooth or bumpy?"
  4. The Stem: Point to the stem. "This is the stem. It's like a tall straw that holds the plant up and carries water to the leaves and flower. Feel how strong it is."
  5. The Roots: Gently tilt the pot so you can see the top of the soil. If possible, gently lift the plant out to show the roots. "And down here, under the dirt, are the roots! They are like wiggly toes that drink up all the water and hold the plant in the ground so it doesn't fall over." Place the plant back carefully.

Activity 2: Build-a-Plant Craft (15 minutes)

  1. Set Up: Lay out the large construction paper and all the craft supplies (yarn, pipe cleaner, green paper, colorful items, glue).
  2. Start from the Bottom: Ask, "What part of the plant lives under the ground?" Guide them to answer "Roots!" Have them glue the brown yarn to the bottom half of the paper to be the roots.
  3. Build Upward: Ask, "What part stands up tall and strong?" Guide them to answer "The stem!" Help them glue the green pipe cleaner or paper strip vertically, starting from the roots.
  4. Add the Leaves: Give your child the green paper and show them how to tear it into small, leaf-shaped pieces. Tearing is an excellent fine motor activity. Have them glue their torn paper "leaves" onto the sides of the stem.
  5. The Grand Finale: Ask, "What is the pretty, colorful part at the top?" Guide them to answer "The flower!" Let them choose their colorful materials (tissue paper, pom-poms) and glue them to the top of the stem to be the flower.
  6. Review: Point to each part of their craft and have them name it with you. Celebrate their wonderful creation!

Wrap-Up: Plant Part Snack Time! (5 minutes)

  1. Create an Edible Plant: On a small plate, assemble a snack that looks like a plant.
  2. Identify and Eat: As you place each item, ask your child what part it is.
    • "This celery stick is long and strong like the... stem!"
    • "These spinach pieces look like... leaves!"
    • "These shredded carrots look like the wiggly... roots!"
    • "This little broccoli floret is our... flower!"
  3. Enjoy: Let your child enjoy their healthy, plant-based snack while you talk about your favorite part of the lesson.

Making it Easier or Harder (Differentiation)

  • For Extra Support:
    • Pre-cut the craft materials (like the leaves) if tearing is frustrating.
    • Focus on just two parts at first (e.g., flower and stem) and add the others later.
    • Use hand-over-hand guidance to help with gluing.
  • For an Extra Challenge:
    • Ask "why" questions: "Why do you think the roots are under the ground?" or "Why does the plant need sunshine?"
    • Have the child draw their own plant with crayons before or after the craft.
    • Introduce another plant part, like "seeds," and find some in the house (apple seeds, sunflower seeds).

How to Know We Learned (Assessment)

Observe your child during the activities. Can they:

  • Point to at least two parts of the real plant (e.g., flower, leaves) when you name them?
  • Use one of the new vocabulary words (roots, stem, leaf, flower) unprompted?
  • Place the craft pieces in their generally correct locations on the paper (roots at bottom, flower at top)?
  • Participate willingly and show curiosity during the exploration?