Flowers Are Plants: A Story and STEAM Event

This program was intended to introduce STEAM concepts to preschoolers ages 3-6 years old.  

Intro song #1:  Hello Friends (sign language action song for the words hello, friends, and time)

Hello friends,
Hello friends,
Hello friends,
It's time to say hello.

 

Intro song #2: If You Are Ready for Stories... (my adaptation of a Rob Reid storytime rhyme)

If you are ready for stories...
...Count to three.
...Stretch your wings.
...Touch your toes.
...Touch your nose.
...Bark like a dog.
...Snore like a log.
...Sit like a kid at storytime.

 

 

Book: If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson

Demonstration:

“Flower Song” flannelboard (a song to the tune of "The Farmer In the Dell" about the parts of a flower that I found at https://everythingpreschool.com/themes/flowers/songs.htm)

 

STEAM questions and concepts:  What are the parts of a flower?  What does a flower need to grow? 

 

Stations: 

 

Station #1- Planting radishes

Encourage children to fill a peet pot with potting soil and then plant radish seeds inside it.  Children can also use the craft sticks and color pens to create garden labels for the pot. 

 

 

Station #2 – Stamping flowers process art

Encourage child to use the precut straws to stamp flower designs on the paper with colorful paint.    

 

 

Station #3 – Parts of a plant

Encourage children to look at the live plant with and without the magnifying glasses and microscopes. 

 

Station #4 – Take home seed experiment

Encourage children to take home one peet pellet greenhouse starter kit and one cup of seeds to experiment with growing plants from seeds. 

  

Reflection: 

The children were very engaged during all of the stations.  One grandmother liked the art activity so much she told me she was going to use it during her next Sunday School teaching day.