Go on an autumn nature walk. Bundle your preschoolers in their autumn jackets and take a walk around your school playground and the surrounding area. Arm yourself with a digital camera, and allow each child to carry a "collection bag." These paper lunch bags can be used to collect leaves, pine needles and other interesting fall foliage. Take pictures of the trees, animals and plant life surrounding your school. When you have finished the walk, print the pictures and hang them around the room for children to look at and study. Discuss the nature-related things you saw on your autumn walk as a large group circle time activity.
Use winter as a time to discuss hibernation and the change in the plants and animals around your school. Explain that the colder weather brings a time of rest for plants and animals. No new leaves will grow on the trees in winter, and many animals are huddled in their homes for warmth. On a milder day, take another nature walk with your class. Ask them to notice the differences in the trees and grass on this day as compared to the walk you took in the fall. Take more pictures and compare them to the ones you took on your autumn nature walk as a large group circle time activity.
Discuss with children that spring is a time of renewal and growing. The plants that were resting during the winter will be ready to grow again and the animals that were keeping warm in their homes will soon be ready to warm up in the sun. Discuss the colors of nature and explain that while in the autumn the leaves were orange and red and in the winter everything was mostly brown, the spring is when most plants turn green again. Try a simple planting activity with your preschoolers. Purchase a few seed packets and create a small garden in a quiet corner of your playground. Take pictures of your garden activity and keep them on hand for children to look at and discuss later.
Use the summer months as a time to discuss animals, water and the plants being a source of food for many animals. Continue to tend to your garden and discuss with children the importance of watering plants in the summertime. Explain that while rain often gives the plants enough to drink, when there isn't a lot of rain for a few days, the plants will need your help to drink. Take another walk through the area surrounding your school and take special notice of animal habitats and plant growth. Take a few more pictures for comparison with the others you have collected.