Seeing the plant’s daily growth is fun if you have gardened before. However, seeing the growth through a time-lapse video is almost magical and highlights how “alive” plants are. Because plants don’t move like animals, we tend to think of them as lesser organisms. Still, in truth, they are incredibly sophisticated life forms. One of my favorite time-lapse videos is of a bean plant going from seed to plant in about a month (if you are interested, the video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w77zPAtVTuI).

Learning about the parts of the plant usually starts with three-part cards. It then moves on to examining an actual plant and identifying the parts. If the students are lucky, they may grow a plant of their own (like a bean plant). This Parts of the Plant Game focuses on the plant’s growth as we identify and name its parts. Like a time-lapse video, the students will quickly see their efforts grow their “classroom PE plant.” This game encourages throwing and catching through a team-based, non-competitive game. It will capture the child’s imagination as they see their plant grow right before their eyes!

Materials: 

·      A large playing area is ideal, but the game could be played in a much smaller space, like a classroom, if need be

o   If you use a much smaller play area like a classroom, you must use alternate materials to accommodate the size. For example, maybe something smaller like dominos could be used to grow the stalk instead of cones. It will take a little creativity, but it could certainly work.

·      Lots and lots of cones (the more, the better, but over a hundred would be ideal for a big play area)

·      At least one tennis ball per student

·      Polydisc or rubber disc dots (as many as you can get, again over a hundred, would be ideal). If you have sets of different colors, this will help the students keep stay organized at the beginning of the game.

·      Hula-hoops (depending on the size of the playing area, anywhere from 3-10)

·      (*Optional*) A junior-sized hockey stick set consisting of 10-20 hockey sticks

o   These can be used to show solidified, reinforced stems or branches and allow the students to reuse cones for continued plant growth if the cones are limited

Minimum Amount of Students Needed: You could play this game with as few as two students, especially in a homeschool situation. However, more students would be better, leading to faster-paced action and bigger plants.

Age: Lower elementary