Enjoy this simple preschool lesson plan about bugs children may find in a garden. The activities below will introduce children gardening through dramatic play, a circle time activity, music and movement, a cooking activity, a sensory activity and a story. For each activity you will find the materials, instructions and discussion starters (verbal cues). This lesson plan works well in conjunction with a daycare center unit with a spring theme or science theme.
Sensory
Worm Sensory Table
Materials: Sensory table or tub, soil, worms in various shapes and sizes, plastic gloves, magnifying glass.
Discussion Starters: How do worms help plants? What other kinds of bugs do we find in the garden? How do the worms feel between your fingers?
Instructions: Put soil in the sensory table or a large plastic tub. Add worms. Be sure to cover the worms with the soil. Put plastic gloves on the children and let them take turns finding and feeling worms. Let them use a magnifying glass to observe the worms closely. Remind children to be gentle with the worms
Alternatives: If you do not want to use live worms, use gummy worms or plastic worms. You can also use hair gel or Easter grass instead of soil.
Circle Time
Beneficial Bugs Poster: Read Buds and Blossoms: A Book about Flowers by Susan Blackaby and Charlene Delage Buy or create a poster board with pictures of bugs that are helpful to gardens. Discuss that while some insects harm plants, some help plants grow because they get rid of pests insects. Include ladybugs, bees, flower flies, beetles, wasps, and spiders and explain how they are helpful.
Music and Movement
Caterpillar Rhyme
Discussion Starters: Explain how caterpillars turn into butterflies. Caterpillars and butterflies help gardens and are naturally found in a garden.
Instructions: Teach the children the “Caterpillar Rhyme”.
“Caterpillar Rhyme”
A caterpillar looks so small.
It is hardly there at all.
It munches on green leafy treats,
And it gets bigger as it eats.
It eats and eats, ’til pretty soon,
It wraps up tight in a cocoon.
When it wakes up it blinks its eyes
And says, “I’m now a butterfly!”
Cooking and Snack
Lady Bug Snack
Slice an apple in half lengthwise, and place cut side down on a plate. Create the ladybugs’ spots using raisins and attach to the apple slice using a dot of peanut butter. To create the head attach a grape with a toothpick.
Dramatic Play
Butterfly Garden
Materials: Boxes, green sheets or a green tarp, plastic flowers or flower arrangements, butterfly wings or butterfly costumes, bed sheets or caterpillar costumes
Discussion starters: Read The Butterfly Garden by Sue Harris and Stephanie Boey. Discuss butterfly garden basics. Describe how caterpillars become butterflies. How do butterflies move? How do caterpillars move? What do butterflies eat?
Instructions: Create a butterfly garden in the dramatic play area by covering groups of boxes with green sheets and arranging flowers throughout. Let children play the role of butterfly or crawling caterpillar. Children can put on butterfly wings and “fly” from flower to flower. Others can get wrapped in sheets and wiggle through the garden.
Story Time
Read: The Butterfly Garden by Sue Harris and Stephanie Boey
Related Posts:
- Gardening Daycare Lesson Plan Tweet Tweet Enjoy this simple preschool lesson plan about gardening....
- The Color Blue Daycare Lesson Plan Tweet Tweet Enjoy this simple preschool lesson plan that will...
- The Color Red Daycare Lesson Plan Tweet Tweet Enjoy this simple preschool lesson plan that will...
