Instructions
Read each section carefully and complete the fun activities to learn all about the amazing world of fungi!
Activity 1: What are Fungi?
Fungi are a special group of living things. They are not plants because they can't make their own food from sunlight. They are not animals either! They get their food by breaking down old leaves and wood in nature. This is called decomposing. Mushrooms, the mold you might see on old bread, and the yeast that makes bread fluffy are all types of fungi!
Circle True or False for each sentence below.
- Mushrooms are a type of plant.
True / False - Yeast is a fungus that helps make bread rise.
True / False - Fungi get their energy from the sun, just like plants.
True / False - Fungi are important because they help decompose things.
True / False
Activity 2: Parts of a Mushroom
A mushroom has different parts, just like a flower! Draw a line to match the name of the part on the left to what it does on the right.
| Cap | The hidden, root-like threads that grow underground to find food. |
| Stem | The thin lines under the cap that release tiny seeds called spores. |
| Gills | The top of the mushroom, often shaped like a little umbrella. |
| Mycelium | The part that holds the cap up, like a stalk. |
Activity 3: Fungi Word Search
Find the hidden words about fungi in the puzzle below! Words can go across (→) or down (↓).
| M | U | S | H | R | O | O | M | B | P |
| O | A | C | A | P | T | U | V | L | Y |
| L | S | L | I | E | S | N | W | M | E |
| D | T | F | G | F | P | G | O | I | A |
| E | E | U | I | N | O | U | J | S | S |
| C | M | N | L | G | R | S | R | A | T |
| O | R | G | L | Z | E | E | G | C | Y |
| M | B | U | S | Y | Y | N | I | M | Z |
| P | D | S | P | O | R | E | V | O | X |
| O | E | G | I | L | L | S | I | S | E |
Word Bank:
MUSHROOM, MOLD, YEAST, FUNGUS, GILLS, SPORE, CAP, STEM, DECOMPOSE
Activity 4: Design a Fungus!
Some fungi are plain, and some are very colorful! In the box below, draw your very own amazing mushroom. Does it have spots? Stripes? What funny name will you give it?
My fungus is named: ____________________________
Answer Key
Activity 1: What are Fungi?
- False
- True
- False
- True
Activity 2: Parts of a Mushroom
- Cap: The top of the mushroom, often shaped like a little umbrella.
- Stem: The part that holds the cap up, like a stalk.
- Gills: The thin lines under the cap that release tiny seeds called spores.
- Mycelium: The hidden, root-like threads that grow underground to find food.
Activity 3: Fungi Word Search
| M | U | S | H | R | O | O | M | B | P |
| O | A | C | A | C | A | P | V | L | Y |
| L | S | L | I | E | S | N | W | M | E |
| D | T | F | G | F | P | G | O | I | A |
| E | E | U | I | N | O | U | J | S | S |
| D | M | N | L | G | R | S | R | A | T |
| E | R | G | L | Z | E | E | G | C | Y |
| C | B | U | S | Y | Y | N | I | M | Z |
| O | D | S | P | O | R | E | V | O | X |
| M | P | E | G | I | L | L | S | E | E |