Designate an outdoor area at your school, or around your backyard if a parent, to allow your preschoolers to observe wildlife such birds and butterflies in action. To make an observation area, place feeding areas onto trees, bushes and tables. Make a bird feeder by cutting a 2-liter soda bottle in half. Poke three holes into the bottom half, then tie strings to the holes. Fill the bottom of the soda bottle with bird seed, then hang it onto a tree. Make a butterfly feeder by slicing an orange in half, then poking a chopstick up through the bottom of the orange. Stick the other end of the chopstick into soil-. When the birds and butterflies appear, preschoolers can watch the creatures and learn about their behaviors.
Preschoolers can learn about plant structures by collecting and pressing leaves and flowers. Take your preschooler on a nature walk, then select different-looking leaves and wildflowers as you hike. Place the leaves inside a heavy, hardback book. Place two to three per page. Close the book, then place another heavy book on top of it. After one week, the flowers and leaves will be flat and dry. Preschoolers can glue these plants to a sheet of paper and place on display.
By watching a plant grow, preschoolers can learn about the beauty and magic of the natural world. Start by filling a container with potting soil. You can use a terra cotta pot, half a soda bottle or even an old rain boot. Insert a few seeds down into the soil, and water the soil well. Place the container outside or near a sunny window. After four to six weeks, the seed will grow into a small seedling. Within a few months, the preschoolers will be able to watch as their seed turns into a beautiful plant.