This is a fun activity to try alongside The Earth Book by Todd Parr, paired with an Earth learning theme. You can also read What Does It Mean to Be Green for this week. All of the activities are wonderful ways to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd.
Growing Grass: A Fun and Easy Earth Day Themed Preschool Science Activity
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We have grown grass as a preschool science activity for years now. Grass is easy and fun to grow, making it the perfect preschooler science activity. The year I took these photos (2009), the grass even survived three-year-old Emma and one-year-old Johnny dumping out the cups of newly-planted grass seeds and then throwing everything back in topsy-turvy.
Materials Needed for Growing Grass
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Fill cup with soil, leaving at least 1 inch of clearance at the top.
Add a thin layer of grass seeds.
Cover the grass seeds with a small amount of soil.
Water.
Place in a sunny area.
Wait for seeds to grow.
Grass is the perfect plant for preschool botany, because it is incredibly hardy. This year is the perfect illustration of this hardiness, because Emma’s cup of grass seed was dumped all over the floor within an hour of being planted.
I swept up the dirt and dumped it back into its cup. I thought it wouldn’t grow, but I was wrong. Here is the poor destroyed grass plant surviving five days later:
And thriving two weeks later. You have to look twice to tell which cup was dumped out and which one was left alone!
Kids love giving their grass plants “haircuts” – perfect for practicing scissor skills.
More Earth Day Learning Activities
Here are some more wonderful Earth Day themed learning activities for preschoolers!
MaryAnne lives in Silicon Valley with her Stanford professor husband Mike and their four children. She writes about parenting through education, creativity, and play. Mama Smiles - Joyful Parenting is a space to share crafts, hands on learning activities, and family outings that enrich lives and bring families together.
That looks like fun, but I cant find those clear cups, where did you get yours?
veru cool! I have been wanting to do this with Noah! Thanks for reminding me!
We are growing (from seeds) a little basil and mint in pots on the windowsill. Abby loves to check the progress every day!
We really need to do that. Lewis would LOVE it (especially the grass haircutting part).
Wow, that grew really fast! What a neat activity! Our tomato seeds started to sprout, and I cannot wait to get out and do some gardening soon!
Cute! I should give this a try. I think my kids would LOVE it.
And if you draw faces on the cups, it’s even more like you’re giving a hair cut.
I love that idea! Googley eyes would be fun, too!
This is a cool idea even for apartment living!
A lovely way to celebrate Earth Day!!
I have some grass growing outside that needs a “haircut.” :)
This is such a cool idea! Green power!! :)
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