My students have been learning about insects and plants recently. As usual, they’ve jumped right into it with tons of questions and observations! Our preschool science center has seen a lot of activity during this time . . . even more than usual.
Grab done-for-you insect theme and flower theme lesson plans for preschool
Our preschool science center is a small set up, but so much learning takes place there. I include a variety of items in this center – pictures, books, natural materials, kids’ science tools, etc. Some things I keep there consistently, like our magnifying glasses, while I change other items depending on what we’re learning about.
An Insect and Plant Theme in the Preschool Science Center
Materials included in the center
I’ve set the nature/science center up on a small IKEA table near a window in my classroom. So I pack a lot into a small space!
Sometimes I only place a few things out, sometimes I add more based on what we’re learning and what the kiddos are interested in. For this theme, there are a lot of materials at the kids’ request.
Related: Super Simple Insect Small World
Underneath the nature table, I have a basket of books. Sometimes the books cover a variety of science topics. For this theme, though, I’ve tried to stick with books about bugs and plants. They’re non-fiction books, with the fictional stories about plants and insects housed in our reading center.
On top of the small table, I placed a variety of realia related to bugs and plants. There were dead insects, some collected by my students and some from science kits my preschool director purchased. I also added a few types of seeds, as the preschoolers have been asking questions about seeds we eat and seeds we only plant.
The kiddos collected some random leaves and plants from the playground, and those were housed in the center as well. The stars of the show, though, are our real-life caterpillars! We’re watching them change into butterflies this month.
Related: Butterfly Life Cycle Necklace
Along the window ledge, I added more bits and bobs. There are large pine cones, rocks, and colorful flowers. Some of these items were found by the children, while others were brought in by my boss. On the wall, we have some sign-in sheets about insects. One of them helped me decide which insects to “raise” in our classroom! Thus, the caterpillars.
Related: I Spy Sensory Bottle
How the children explore the preschool science center
Sometimes the children just pop into the science center and observe the flower and plant materials. They like to grab a magnifying glass, check out a few items and then run off to another center. Other times, they may spend the majority of their center time at the nature table.
Related: What are Centers and Why are They Important?
They sort the seeds, put the seeds into containers to make “shakers”, or just run their fingers through the seeds. They smell the flowers or rearrange the flowers.
The rocks get sorted and piled, and sometimes the rocks migrate to other areas of the classroom.
The insects hold the most interest right now, though. The caterpillars have been visited often, and sometimes I’ll find them in different centers “just visiting”.
The children can also record what they observe. There are pencils and mini clipboards on-hand every day at the preschool science center! They can draw pictures and write all about their scientific investigations.
I even have a mini insect word wall in a nearby window. That way, the kiddos can grab the word cards they need and bring the cards to the science area when they’re writing.
Related: Beautiful Coffee Filter Flowers
Having the materials out to touch and explore often leads to more questions. And those questions inevitably lead to more learning . . . for both the students and me! 🙂
Additional Resources
Fun-A-Day’s flower and plant Pinterest board
Fun-A-Day’s insect Pinterest board
Buggy and Buddy’s Summer Nature Table
How Wee Learn’s Indoor Nature Activities
Sun Hats and Wellie Boots’ Harvesting Seeds from the Garden
The Imagination Tree’s Nature Exploration Table
What items do you have out for your insect or plant theme? Do you have a preschool science center set up in your classroom or home?
Hands-On Science Materials
Everyone learns differently. But young children seem to be more interested in learning when they are able to connect with the subject. And that’s where hands-on science comes in! I find that letting children experience hands on science gets them excited to explore various science topics. With that in mind, you might want to keep your classroom stocked with some great science materials.
Check out this list and decide which items will work well in your classroom (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Science magnet kit
- Magnifying glass set
- Kid-friendly tongs
- Jumbo eye droppers
- Sensory tubes
- Safety goggles
- Pipettes
- Science mix and measure set
- Sensory bottles
- Sensory bins
- Butterfly net set
The children are going to absolutely love learning about these science tools. And I know they’ll love getting to use them even more!
Insect Theme Lesson Plans for Preschool
Save time planning with done-for-you early childhood resources! Our insect lesson plans come with printable plans, a range of hands-on activities (for whole group, small group, and centers), book suggestions, and coordinating printables.
Get your insect lesson plans now
Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers
What a wonderful area for little learners! Pinned and stumbled!
Thank you so much, Vicky! 🙂 The children have really had so much fun with this little nature area. Our caterpillars have formed their chrysalises, so we’re just waiting on the butterflies now.