Plants

Young children love to explore living things, including plants. Although plants don’t move or interact the same way animals do, they can still ignite your child’s curiosity — especially when you join in carefully observing the tiny grasses, tall trees and colorful flowers in the world around you. The types of plants you and your child investigate will depend on your location and whether you live in a rural, suburban or urban area — but plants are everywhere. Look for flowering plants like maple trees, oak trees, apple trees, palms, cacti, roses, sunflowers, squash, tomatoes and grasses as well as nonflowering plants like pine, spruce and fir trees. And don’t forget weeds! Weeds are not specific plants but simply any plants a gardener doesn’t want. Some examples include buttercups, daisies, dandelions, violets, chickweed, crabgrass, knotweed, wild carrot and ivy. The wonderful thing about weeds is that nobody will mind if you and your child dig them up! Four-year-olds are able to describe and compare some basic characteristics of plants like their colors, sizes and shapes. They may know the names of some plant parts (leaves, flowers, stems, seeds) and are beginning to understand that plants have needs (water, sun), although they may not be sure that trees and other plants are living. As you and your child explore, talk together about your observation and ideas about how plants grow and what they need. Outdoors, look and listen for the insects, birds and other animals that make their homes in, on and around plants. Although very few plants are dangerous, some could make your child sick. Make sure to avoid these plants.