Plants

The Hook:
Have your child collect several green leaves from plants in your yard.  Study the leaves with your child.  Point out the different shapes, shades, and sizes in your child's collection.  Talk about the job of a leaf -- to capture the sun's light for food and energy for the plant (via photosynthesis). 

Photo:  http://siliconangle.com

Fine Motor/Reading Skills:
Supply your child with construction paper and glue in addition to their leaf collection.  Encourage them to paste away and create a leaf collage.  While your child is creating, read from the following book suggestions:

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

One Tree by IKids

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Oliver's Vegetables by Vivian French  

Math Skills:

(1) Create a memory game.  Make eighteen cards with the following images (two of each):  seed, root, stem, leaf, flower, sunlight, water, rain, air.  If your child is on the younger side, you may want to use just the ten cards with the first five images listed above.  Lay out the cards face down and take turns turning over two cards at a time to try to find a match.  Matched cards should be removed from the playing field until all of the cards have been matched.  

(2) Sequencing -- Create five cards with the following images:  seed, sapling, plant, plant with flower, and plant with fruit.  Shuffle the cards and help your child put these cards in order from the beginning of the growth process to the end.  

Science Experiment:  
Start a vegetable garden indoors.  You'll need potting soil, starter tray (with lid), seeds, and a surface near a window that gets plenty of light.  Radishes, lettuce, beets, peas, and herbs are all great seed choices for kids.  Have your child help you to put potting soil in the starter tray and then plant the seeds.  Make sure to label and date your rows.  Water your seeds and place them near the window.  Going forward have your child use a spray bottle to mist the soil to keep it moist.  Take pictures everyday to document the growth.  Once your seedlings start to mature, follow the transplanting instructions on the seed packets.

Photo:  http://garden.lovetoknow.com

Snack:

Serve vegetable garden produce (e.g., bell peppers, snow peas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, etc.) with hummus.