Early Science  /  Plants  /  Week 1: Lesson 2  /  Activity

Fingerplay: Five Little Plants

 

Plants
Books & Songs

Children act out five little plants drooping in the hot sun. Luckily, rain falls, and children act out the plants being revived and standing up tall again.

Teacher holds up five fingers. Student holds hands above her head.

Five little plants in the hot, hot sun.

Their heads droop down, one by one.

 

Materials


 
Materials PDF
  • Fingerplay: "Five Little Plants" (PDF)
  • Optional: Paper (for printing)

Preparation

  1. Familiarize yourself with the words and actions of the fingerplay “Five Little Plants.” Print the lyrics if you wish.
 

Directions: Lesson 2


Circle Time: Wrap-Up
  1. Have children join you in doing the actions of this fingerplay. Soon they will also be able to chant the words. Insert the name of the vegetable plant of your choice into the first and last lines of this fingerplay.
    • Five (tomato) plants in the hot, hot sun (hold up five fingers)
    • Their heads droop down, one by one. (make your fingers droop)
    • Down, down, down falls the gentle rain (wiggle fingers as you move your hands downward)
    • And the five (tomato) plants stand up straight again. (hold up fingers straight again)
  2. Engage children in a discussion about drooping/reviving plants. Possible discussion ideas:
    • What happens to little (tomato) plants when it is hot and sunny for a long time?
    • What do the (tomato) plants need to stand up straight again? (water, rain)
  3. Repeat the verse. Have children count their fingers as they droop and stand up again.
    • Five (tomato) plants in the hot, hot sun (count each finger as you hold up five fingers)
    • Their heads droop down, one by one. (count each finger as you make your fingers droop)
    • Down, down, down falls the gentle rain (wiggle fingers as you move your hands downward)
    • And the five (tomato) plants stand up straight again. (count as you hold up fingers straight again)
  4. You may want to change the number of fingers you use to give children practice in counting groups.

Length of Play

2–5 min.

Group Size
In the Schedule

 
Vocabulary

  • plant (noun)
  • rain
  • sun
  • vegetable
 
Learning Goals

Science
  • Observe and describe what plants need to live and grow.
Math
  • Count a set of objects with one-to-one correspondence.