All About Plants: the Air, Water, Sun, Soil Game!

The past two weeks have been all about plants. We've covered the life cycle, we've planted beans and lettuce seeds, and now we are talking about what all plants need in order to live. Enter the Air, Water, Sun, Soil Game! Yes, yes, it probably is the worst named game EVER but it's really really fun and helps the kids understand that plants need air, water, sun, and soil in order to thrive. Most importantly, it helps kids understand that not all plants will live because not all plants get what they need.  So, here we go...

You will need word cards to sprinkle around the floor:

You can get a copy here. They are not fancy at all, but super, super simple so you can throw them out at the end without feeling bad :-)

1. Have students spread out around the room. I let them stand anywhere in the room but they have to plant their feet on the ground and cannot move them!

2. Sprinkle the word cards around the room, making sure to flip all words over so students can see them.

3. Choose a word card to start with. I usually start with Air because it is the most readily available resource/card. The children have to try to touch the word air WITHOUT moving their feet! Now, I let them stretch just as much as they can, but their little toes have to stay put. It's so funny watching them trying to get there. 

If they CAN touch the card, they are alive! YAY! If they CAN"T touch the card they are dead and have to sit down.

4. Continue the game until you have called about all 4 resources and see if you have any winners! Sometimes I have a lot of plants still alive and sometimes all of them die. But one thing is always for sure- the kids understand that not all plants will live after playing this game! Enjoy!