Today in our Science lesson, we became plant explorers! We went outside into the school grounds to look closely at the different plants growing around us. The children were very excited to discover how many plants we could find in different areas.

As we walked around, we spotted a variety of plants including dandelions, daisies, bluebells, clover and tulips. We stopped to carefully observe each one, thinking about what made them similar and what made them different. The children noticed things like the colours of the petals, the shapes of the leaves and where each plant was growing.

We also had an important discussion about what plants need to grow. The children shared fantastic ideas, explaining that plants need sunlight, water, air and space. We then started to think more deeply: why are plants growing in certain places? For example, we saw many plants growing in grassy areas and near flower beds, but not as many on hard surfaces.

This led us to an interesting question: would a plant grow in the middle of the playground? The children thought carefully and decided that it would be very difficult. They explained that the playground doesn’t have soil, and plants wouldn’t be able to get the water and nutrients they need. They also mentioned that people walking over the area could damage any plants trying to grow there.

After our exploration, the children completed four observational drawings of different plants they had seen. They took great care to include details and then labelled each drawing with the correct plant name. It was wonderful to see their focus and enthusiasm.

We had a fantastic time learning outdoors today, and the children did an excellent job thinking like scientists—observing, questioning and explaining their ideas!