Preschool Plants and Gardening Unit Study

At Faith-Filled Homeschool, we love celebrating God’s beautiful creation—and what better way to do that than by digging into a Plants & Gardening unit study with our little ones? Preschoolers are full of wonder, and this unit offers hands-on experiences, creative projects, and meaningful lessons about the world God made.

Today, I’m sharing a full guide to help you plan a joyful and faith-filled Plants & Gardening study, complete with book lists, craft ideas, field trip suggestions, and more!

Why Study Plants in Preschool?

Studying plants gives young children a front-row seat to God’s amazing design. As we plant seeds and watch them grow, we learn patience, responsibility, and gratitude. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to strengthen fine motor skills, build early science knowledge, and nurture hearts that marvel at the Creator’s handiwork.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” — Psalm 19:1

Plants & Gardening Book List

Fiction Favorites:

• The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

• Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

• Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn

• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

• The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

Non-Fiction Gems:

• From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

• How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan

• Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy

• Plants Feed Me by Lizzy Rockwell

• Seed to Plant (National Geographic Kids) by Kristin Baird Rattini

Tip: Check your local library or find cozy read-alouds online if you can’t get a copy right away!

Hands-On Crafts & Activities

Grow a Bean in a Bag
Tape a wet paper towel and a bean seed inside a plastic bag. Hang it in a sunny window and watch roots and shoots grow—a simple but magical experience!

DIY Garden Markers
Paint craft sticks to label pretend or real gardens. Kids can even draw little pictures to match the plants!

Flower Petal Collages
Collect petals and leaves during a nature walk and glue them into beautiful collages. A lovely way to appreciate the variety God has made.

Coffee Filter Flowers
Create colorful “flowers” with coffee filters, washable markers, and a little water. These make a sweet springtime display!

Potato Stamping Art
Carve simple shapes (flowers, seeds, leaves) into potatoes and use them as stamps with paint to create garden scenes on paper.

Field Trip Ideas

Botanical Garden Visit
Explore God’s creativity at a local botanical garden. Many have special programs just for young children.

Tour a Local Farm
Learn firsthand where food comes from and maybe even meet some farmers!

Farmer’s Market Outing
Talk with growers, smell fresh herbs, and see real fruits and veggies up close.

Visit a Plant Nursery
Pick a special plant to take home and care for together—an experience kids will never forget.

Nature Walk Adventure
Bring a magnifying glass and observe different types of plants, seeds, and flowers along a trail or in your neighborhood.

Faith-Filled Learning Extensions

Bible Connection:
Read Genesis 1:11-12 together:
“Then God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.’ And it was so.”

Talk about how every plant has a purpose and how God designed it all with care. Encourage your child to thank God for the plants they see and the food they eat.

Early Math Skills:

• Count seeds as you plant.

• Measure the height of growing plants.

• Sort seeds or leaves by size or color.

Early Literacy Skills:

• Keep a “Plant Journal” with simple drawings and notes.

• Introduce new vocabulary like sprout, bud, bloom, root.

Sensory Play:

• Set up a mud kitchen for pretend “cooking” with dirt and water.

• Create a pretend flower shop with artificial flowers and play money.

Planting Seeds in Little Hearts

When we take time to explore plants and gardens with our preschoolers, we aren’t just teaching science—we’re planting seeds of wonder, gratitude, and faith. Every seed we sow and every bloom we admire can point their hearts back to the One who makes all things grow.

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” — 1 Corinthians 3:7

Happy planting, sweet friends!