Play matching plant part card games. Does the leaf card have the same number of leaves as the plant on the gameboard?
10–20 minutes
Get Ready
Materials you will need:
- Scissors
- Leaf Cards PDF
- Plant Gameboard PDF
- Plant Part Description Cards PDF
- Sheets of heavy paper
- Optional: Index cards and markers (if making own cards and gameboards)
- Optional: Printer
Things to do before the activity:
- Print two copies of the Leaf Cards PDF and the Plant Gameboard PDF on heavy paper if possible.
- You can also make your own cards and gameboards. Make two sets of cards and two gameboards.
- To make leaf cards, draw one to six leaves on each index card. Each card should have a different number of leaves.
- To make gameboards, draw three rows of plant pictures with two plants in each row. Each plant has a different number of leaves (one to six). Different plants have different plant parts. (Use the gameboard PDF as a guide.)
- Look at the Plant Part Description Cards together with your child.
A character with a speech bubble and rabbit with a thought bubble.
Let's count how many leaves each plant has!
Can you find two plants with the same number of leaves?
Explore!
Step 1.
Lay the plant gameboards faceup on a table. Talk about the plants. Name the plant parts on each plant (stem, root, leaf, fruit, flower). Point out how each plant part plays a different role in a plant’s growth. (See the Plant Part Description Cards.)
- Have you ever seen this plant? What kind of plant is it?
- Take turns naming the plant parts on each plant as you talk about how each part helps the plant grow.
Step 2.
Play Plant Bingo. Put all the cards facedown in a pile. Each player places a gameboard in front of them on the table. Talk about the gameboard before you play.
- What do you see?
- Count the number of plants together. How many have fruits? How many have flowers?
Take turns turning over one card at a time. Match the number of leaves on the card to the corresponding plant on the gameboard. Place the card over the plant. If you do not find a match, return the card to the bottom of the pile. Continue playing until both gameboards are covered with leaf cards.
- As you play, talk about things plants need to live and grow.
- After you play, count together. Which plant has (3) leaves? Which plant has the most leaves?
Step 3.
Play Plant Card Memory Game. Turn the two sets of cards facedown. Arrange them in rows of three on a table. Take turns turning over two cards at a time.
Count the leaves on each card. Collect the two cards if they have the same number of leaves. If the cards do not match, turn them facedown again. Continue until all the cards have been matched and collected.
- What plant parts do you see on that plant?
- Tell your child to try to remember where each card is when it is turned facedown again. You might need to use it to make a match on another turn!
Review!
Look at the gameboard. Notice that different plants have many of the same parts. Point out the plant parts (stem, leaf, fruit, flower) in each picture.
- Count together to find the plant that has the most leaves. The fewest leaves.
- Take turns naming one thing a plant needs to help it live and grow.
Back to the top