Preschool is a time for children to learn about the world through hands-on, memorable experiences. Most educational experts believe that hands-on learning is a critical part of early childhood education, and kids can benefit from these activities both in the classroom and at home.
Not sure what types of activities are best for helping preschool children learn about biology? Check out these four fun projects.
1. Making Mini Terrariums
This one might sound involved, but all you need to make a terrarium is a small plastic container, some soil, small plants, and maybe some pebbles. You can even let each child add in mini figurines.
Making terrariums helps kids start to understand how plants grow in nature. They’ll get to see each plant’s roots and learn about how plants gain nutrients from the soil. Once the mini terrariums are complete, each child can learn about how plants need sunlight and water to thrive.
This activity also gives children a creative outlet. Let kids take the lead when it comes to placing plants, rocks, and figurines in each terrarium. Fostering creativity is a crucial part of Montessori preschool.
2. Designing Animal Habitat Venn Diagrams
One of the key parts of the Montessori preschool experience is helping kids understand the world around them through active learning. With this activity, preschoolers can start to learn about animal habitats while also familiarizing themselves with Venn diagrams. Here’s how to do it:
- Gather blue, green, and yellow construction paper and a collection of small toy animals
- Make a Venn diagram with a green circle and a blue circle — make the overlapping area yellow
- Work with the children to sort the animals by habitat — land animals go on the green circle, water animals go in the blue circle, and those that spend time on land and in the water go in the middle
Preschool kids love toys, so this activity is an especially engaging one. You can even let each child keep one of the toy animals!
3. Sprouting Seeds
This activity is a fun one for curious preschool kids — it gives them a glimpse into the plant life cycle. And when you use fast-sprouting mung beans, kids won’t need to wait too long to see results.
This activity is a little more involved than some, but it’s worth it. Here’s how to do it:
- Take mung bean sprouting seeds and soak them in water for 24 hours
- Make a sprouting container by taking a plastic container and poking a few holes in the bottom
- Line the container with a paper towel and place it in a larger container to catch the drainage
- Let the kids help you place the soaked beans in the container, making sure there’s enough water to soak the paper towel
- Cover the seeds with a towel and let the children help you water them twice a day for three days
- By the third day, the kids will see that the seeds have sprouted
If you want to get a little more detailed, you can also cut a sprouted seed in half to let the children see the inside.
4. Creating Clay Models
This is a quick, easy activity perfect for the Montessori preschool classroom, and it’s easy to do at home, too. All you need to do is gather modeling clay in a wide variety of colors. Encourage the kids to make models of plants, animals, and other living things. It’s a great way to encourage them to look closely at the world.
Discover the Montessori Difference
At Montessori School of Pleasanton, we take pride in giving preschool students the skills they need for a lifetime of success. If you want to learn more about the benefits of Montessori preschool or are ready to enroll, contact us today!
