KS1 Gardening | KS1 Topic | Ages 5-7

What is gardening?

Lots of pink flowers in a garden with blue sky and trees in the background. A girl with yellow hair is in the foreground holding a magnifying glass to her eye.

Gardening is when people grow flowers, plants, and even food, like fruits and vegetables, in an outdoor space.

Gardens come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They can be big or small and they all look different.

Gardening is fun because you can watch plants grow, see colourful flowers and spot animals, like birds, bees, and butterflies.

Science

Plants grow all over the world, in gardens and in the wild.

Lots of people like to plant flowers in their gardens to make them bright and colourful.

Here is some more information, along with some videos and activities you could try.

What do plants need to grow?

Plants need certain things in order to grow well and look their best:

water
light
the right temperature
air
time

Learn more about what plants need to grow.

Have a look at this slideshow to find out more about what plants need to grow and stay healthy.

Skip image gallery

Image caption,
Water
Plants need just the right amount of water to grow. Without enough water the plant won’t be able to make enough food inside its leaves. If a plant has too much water then the roots will rot, which means they won’t be able to take up any water.
Image caption,
Light
Plants need just the right amount of light to grow into a healthy plant. Plants get natural light from the Sun, or from artificial lights such as lamps.
Image caption,
Temperature
Plants need the right temperature to grow and be healthy. The temperature affects how well the plant can make its food inside its leaves. If it is too hot or too cold, the plant won't grow well and might not survive.
Image caption,
Air
Plants need air to make food in their leaves to make sure they stay healthy. If there is no air then the plant cannot make food and will die.
Image caption,
Time
Plants need plenty of time to grow and thrive. It may take a lot of patience, but it is worth the wait!

Minibeasts

Gardens and green spaces are not just full of plants and flowers, they are home to many tiny creatures such as:

insects, like ladybirds and beetles
crustaceans, like woodlice
molluscs, like slugs and snails
arachnids, like spiders and mites.

You can find them hiding under stones and logs, in leaf piles and in the ground, even under plant pots.

Learn more about different types of minibeasts.

Activity - Minibeast hunt

Go on your own minibeast hunt with this fun activity sheet.

With an adult, explore your garden, park or green space and see which minibeasts you can spot!

Discover more on KS1 Science

Take a look at these articles to learn more about plants and animals you might see in a garden or outdoor space.

Geography

As well as flowers and plants, you can grow fruit and vegetables in a garden.

Different fruits and vegetables need certain conditions to grow.

Why not have a look at the information, videos and activities below to find out more?

An orange tree with lots of oranges with a blue sky in the background — Image caption,
Oranges grow well in warm and sunny places, like Valencia in Spain.

Growing food around the world

Countries around the world grow different types of fruit and vegetables.

This is because some countries are dry and hot, while others are cooler and wetter. For example:

In the UK, fruit such as apples grow well, because the weather is colder in the winter and warmer in summer.
In Spain, oranges grow well because it is warm and sunny for long periods of time.

Learn more about hot and cold places around the world.

Activity - Regrow some vegetables

Did you know it's possible to regrow the vegetables you buy in the shops?

You don't even need lots of space. You can grow your own salad on your windowsill!

You will need:

some carrot tops or other vegetables, such as beetroot or celery
a dish
some stones
some water

Make sure to ask an adult for help and remember to wash your hands afterwards.

Follow this link to find out what you need to do next.

Discover more on KS1 Geography

Follow these links to learn more about the UK and different countries.

English

An open book on a shelf with abc on the page and a yellow bookmark

People often write about what they see in their gardens or local green spaces.

They use lots of interesting words to describe them.

Here is some more information and activities for you to learn more.

What is vocabulary?

Vocabulary is the collection of words that we use.

We can use vocabulary to describe the things we see in a garden, such as:

colourful flowers
prickly bushes
crunchy leaves

Have a look at this slideshow to learn some interesting words that describe what we might find in the garden.

Skip image gallery

Image caption,
Try growing your vocabulary now!
Let's grow!
Image caption,
fragrant
A nice, pleasant and pleasing smell.
Image caption,
crunchy
When you eat a carrot, it makes a crunchy sound. When you walk on fresh snow it can sound crunchy.
Image caption,
prickly
When something has lots of small, sharp points, like a cactus or a holly bush.
Image caption,
underground
Below the surface of the earth is underground. This is where vegetables like potatoes and carrots grow.
Image caption,
towering
Something that is tall and rises high above the ground, like a building or a tree.
Image caption,
evergreen
A tree or plant that stays green and does not lose its leaves in winter.
Image caption,
trunk
The strong parts of a tree that holds it up. It is like the body of a tree. It can carry important things from the roots all the way up to the leaves.