A Fun Easy Planting Activity for Preschoolers
My teacher heart has fallen in love with GRASS HEADS! 🤣 Seriously, you all are going to LOVE these in your Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten classrooms! My sweet friend Yay for PreK started doing these a few years back and it has become my favorite planting activity.
These grass heads have quickly become my go-to activity for teaching little ones about planting. Trust me, you and your kiddos are going to love making these adorable grassy pals. They grow quickly which make the perfect for our little ones in early childhood classrooms.
What You Need to Make Preschool Grass Heads
Before we dive into the how-to, let's make sure you have everything you need. Here's a simple list to get you started:
Clear plastic cups – They'll serve as your grass head's home.
Pom poms – I love the big ones for these, they make the cutest noses!
Big googly eyes – Because what's a grass head without googly eyes!
Glue gun – For securing the googly eyes and pom pom noses.
Permanent marker – To draw a mouth on your grass head.
Soil and grass seed – The essential ingredients to grow your grass head's hair.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Preschool Grass Heads
1. Plant the Grass
Grab some scoops and your bag of soil! Have your preschooler fill their plastic cups with soil. Bring this activity outside to skip all the clean up! 💫 After filling their cups most of the way with soil, let them spoon a or sprinkle grass seeds over the top. Then have them add a thin layer of soil overtop. Water it well and set the cups aside in a sunny spot.
Throughout the week, I have my Pre-K kiddos water their grass heads with a spray bottle. Squeezing the triggers on spray bottles helps our preschoolers in so many ways. It requires coordination and control, which are crucial for fine motor development. This activity helps prepare children for tasks like writing, cutting with scissors, and buttoning clothing.
2. Assemble Your Grass Head
Once the planting is done, it's time to personalize the grass heads. Only adults should handle the glue gun for safety. Start with a wide assortment of pom poms to chose from. Each child will pick out their favorite to use as a pom pom nose.
They should also count out two googly eyes. The children can hand these to you or another adult, who will then use the glue gun to attach the googly eyes and the pom pom nose to the outside of the cup.
Pro Tip: Do this part during your center time! 🌟 This way you can call one or two kids at a time to prevent long wait times.
3. Draw the Mouth
After the glue has dried, give the kids a permanent marker to draw a mouth on their cup. This allows them to give their grass head a unique personality, whether it's a smile, a frown, or something creatively silly. Encouraging the children to draw the mouth themselves fosters creativity. I love that they all look different and have their own little personalities.
The Best Part: Haircuts for Your Grass Heads!
The absolute best part about this activity? The haircuts! 🤣 Once the grass grows tall, take your kiddos outside with a pair of scissors and let them give their grass heads a trim. This is not only a blast but also a great way to develop their fine motor skills.
Why scissor skills are awesome for our Preschool and Kindergarten kiddos:
Fine Motor Skill Development: Cutting with scissors involves opening and closing the hand, which improves the small muscle movements in the palms and fingers. This is crucial for developing the fine motor skills that children will later use in writing, typing, and other precise tasks.
Hand-Eye Coordination: When children cut the grass on their grass heads, they must visually guide their hands to cut precisely. This practice enhances their hand-eye coordination.
Bilateral Coordination: Using scissors requires the use of both hands simultaneously – one hand to cut and the other to hold and manipulate the grass head. This activity helps strengthen bilateral coordination, or the ability to use both sides of the body at the same time in a coordinated manner.
Spatial Awareness: Cutting involves manipulating materials in space and understanding the shapes and sizes of objects. This improves spatial awareness, helping children understand how objects relate to each other in space.
Why Preschool Grass Heads Are a Must-Try
Creating preschool grass heads is more than just a fun activity. It’s a hands-on way to teach young children about the basics of planting and caring for a living thing. It also encourages them to practice their cutting skills, which is a crucial part of their developmental milestones.
Join the grass head movement today! 🤣
Preschool grass heads are a perfect blend of fun, learning, and creativity. Try them out in your early childhood class today. I promise, they won't disappoint! The giggles are practically guaranteed! 😁 Your little sprouts will love it, and you’ll love watching their faces light up with joy and pride as they care for their new little friends.
Share this article 💫 with your teacher friends so they can try it too! And, don't forget to share your pics 📸 with me. I'd love to see how they turn out in your classroom!
Looking for an easy flower craft?
Other fun plant themed ideas for your Preschoolers
Try this creative idea in your sensory tub! It's always a hit in my classroom during our planting unit.
Grow herbs in your classroom for a full sensory experience! Mint is always a class favorite. It's super easy to grow, smells amazing and pairs nicely with fruit as a snack.
Try making playdough out of dandelions! Stephanie from Parenting Chaos had this amazing idea! I'm going to try it this spring!
Use dandelion stems, leaves, rocks and whatever else you can find to have students make their name on a piece of paper. These turn out so cute! Take a picture and send it to the parents.