Day 1

Circle Time: The Tiny Seed
Read the story "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle to the children.

If you don't have the story "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle you may be able to borrow the book from your local library.

Next, have the children match up the flowers to the flower pots by letters.

Flower Letter Match Up
Review Letters A – J

You will need 10 small sturdy plastic plant pots and label them A, B, C, D through the letter J. If you don't have any plastic flower pots you can use then see if you can find some metal cans (no sharp edges) from canned spaghetti, canned veggies, peanuts or use you may be able to use sturdy plastic cups; such as yogurt cups, or the covers from liquid soap (washed out) or sturdy plastic drinking cups, etc.

Flower Directions: Print out the flower tops onto white cardstock paper and color each flower top with a marker, use one color, such as red, orange, purple, green, brown and blue, color the centers yellow as you will need to write the letters into the centers of the flowers, if the centers are a light color you can use a marker onto the flowers center otherwise you will need to use circle stickers to write the letters on.

After all the flower tops have been colored attach them to jumbo craft sticks.

Lay all the flowers face down onto the floor and have the children sit around the flowers. Line up all the plant pots A, B, C...J in order in a row.

Have the children take turns picking a flower from the floor and holding it up and showing you which letter is on the flower and then have them match it to the matching letter on the flower pot and place the flower inside the flower pot, repeat with each child.

After they are done with this activity, teacher can mix up the flower pots and see if the children can help you get them back into the correct alphabetical order.

Song/Rhyme: Who Took A Blue Flower? You will need the flower card file, cardstock paper, and a cloth bag or pillowcase.

You will need to use the flower cards again on day 4 and day 5.

Print out the flower cards onto white cardstock paper and place all the flowers into a cloth bag and have the children take turns picking one flower from the bag, have them hold up the flower and then sing the song below.

Repeat for each child for each colored flower that he/she picks from the bag.

There are only six flower cards, as they become used up, you will need to place them back into the bag and continue until everyone gets a turn.

Tune to: "The Farmer in the dell"

Ryan picked a flower,
Ryan picked a flower,
Hi Ho the dairy oh, Ryan picked a blue flower!

Note: As you sing the song above, change the name “Ryan” in the song above to the child's name that picks the flower from the bag and change the color of the blue flower to the color of the flower that he/she picks from the bag.

Art Time: Flower Poster

You will need white cardstock paper, flower poster file, sunflower seeds and crayons or markers.

Print out the flower poster onto white copy paper, print out one per child and have the children glue a few sunflower seeds to the seed circle, have them color the soil circle brown, the water circle blue and the sun circle yellow, have them color the flower any color they would like.

Learning Time: Flower Game

Explain to the children that to grow a flower you first need a flower seed and the flower seed needs soil, water and sunshine to grow.

Then tell the children they are going to play the flower game and the first child to get all four items that the flower seed needs to grow into a flower will be the winner.

Flower Game Directions: The children will need to collect all four items (seed circle, soil circle, water circle and the sun circle) to win, place the pictures around the flower on the circles.

Print out the flower game and flower game pieces onto heavy paper such as white cardstock paper you will need to print out one flower game board per child. There are enough flower game pieces on each page for 2 children, print out enough flower game pieces for all the children.

Lay the flower game pieces face down onto the floor. Give each child a game board and show them the four circles on the game board and explain that in each circle is what the flower seed needs to grow into a flower. Tell them that they need one of each picture and as they collect the pictures they will match them up to the pictures on their game board, if they pick the same picture twice they need to put the duplicate picture back, face down onto the floor, and then the next child will take his turn, the first child to collect all four items is the winner.

Letter/Number: Pick The Sunflowers
You will need The sunflower print out, clear contact paper or clear packing tape, old fashioned clothespins (no springs), deck of cards, an egg carton and scissors.

The sunflowers will be used again at special activity time today.

Egg Carton Directions: Teacher will need to turn the egg carton upside down and make a hole in the center of each egg cup.

Flower Directions: Print out the sunflowers onto white cardstock paper, print out two to three flowers per child. Cover the flowers completely with clear contact paper or clear packing tape and then cut them out. You will need old fashioned clothespins, the ones that don't have a spring in them, and in the opening of the clothespin place the stem of the flower and tape it in there so it won't move, repeat with each of the flower print outs.

Cards: You will need a deck of playing cards and take out all the numbers 2 – 4 from the deck, you will be using only the playing cards with the numbers 2 – 4 on them, shuffle the cards and lay them face down onto the floor.

Activity: Have the children sit in a circle around the cards and take turns picking a card from the floor. Have them hold up the number they “picked” from the floor and tell you the number on the card and then have them pick that many sunflowers from the sunflower garden. After all the flowers have been “picked” from the sunflower garden, have the children plant the sunflowers, by putting them back, have them pick a card and put the sunflowers back or plant them, after all the sunflowers have been planted, then have them “pick the flowers again”. Repeat until everyone has had a turn. Help the children as needed.

Special Activity: Plant The Sunflowers

You will need: Sturdy plastic plant pots, or sturdy plastic containers, sunflower clothespins from letter/number time, sand table with Oatmeal or rice (for pretend sand)

You will need the sunflower clothespins from letter/number time today

Place the flowers into the sand table along with some sturdy plastic flower pots or sturdy plastic container such as a yogurt cups and show the children how to put some sand (oatmeal or rice) into their flower pot and then stick the flower in.

If you do not have a sand table you can provide each of the children with a dishpan with a small amount of oatmeal (for pretend sand) and have them play with the flowers in the dishpan or sand table.

Outside Sandbox? If you have an outside sandbox you may want to have the children take the flowers and the sturdy plastic flowerpots and spoons (pretend shovels) outside and do this activity outside today!