When we first discovered Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow, we were in love. It was a building block award nominee a couple years ago and was definitely one of our favorites on the list. Do You Know Which One Will Grow takes your child through a series of questions asking if certain things will grow.
“If a duckling grows to become a duck,
Can a car grow and become a…truck?”
Each page has a fun flap that you lift to reveal the last object. The book will have your children laughing about stools growing into chairs and caps growing into hats, but there’s something significant about this book. It’s really teaching an important science lesson. Living vs. non-living things is something children learn throughout their elementary school years and using Do You Know Which One Will Grow during preschool will help to jump start that learning.
Science Studies
Grow a Seed: In a baggie, place a damp paper towel. On the towel, place a few seeds (bean seeds work really well for this) and a penny. Seal the baggie and hang it in a window. Check the baggie daily. The seeds should start to sprout in about a week. Keep asking your child about the penny. Is it going to grow into a quarter? Why not? Use this to reinforce living vs. non-living. Their answer when you ask why the penny doesn’t grow should be that the penny isn’t alive and the seed is.
Living vs. Non-Living Sorting Game: On a large piece of paper, draw a line down the center. On one side, write “living”. On the other , write “non-living”. Have your child sort the cards from the printable pack into the living and non-living categories.
Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?
Language Activities
Yes and No Sight Words: The words “Yes” and “No” are used repeatedly throughout this book. This is a great opportunity to learn them as sight words! Print off the “Yes and No” cards and get ready to read through the book. Have your child place the “Yes” card on the things that will grow and the “No” card on things that won’t. Then read the page to see if they got it right.
Rhyming Game: Print off the Rhyming Word Cards from the printable pack and lay out half of the pairs. Put the rest in a pile. Turn over the top card of the pile and say the word. Have your child find the rhyming word from the cards that are already out. (Another way my kids love to practice rhyming is to just shout out a word and see how many rhyming words you can come up with. They think it’s great fun!)
Math Fun for Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow
Counting: Go through the book together and count the things that will grow. This may seem simple, but it’s more difficult than it sounds since your child will not only be thinking about counting, but also which things grow and which ones don’t.
Counting Animals: Use the printable to count all the different animals. Have your child circle the correct answer.
Shapes: Have your child identify shapes in the book. Point to the tire on the car and ask what shape it is. Do the same for the back of the rig. Then ask your child if they can find certain shapes. Use the printable to let your child trace each shape.
Art Activities
Make a Growth Chart: Get a 1″x4″x8′ strip of wood from the hardware store. Have your child paint it and help you decorate it. Then, mark off the feet and inches and hang it on the wall to measure your child’s growth.
Living vs Non-Living Posters: Give your child a couple magazines and have them cut out pictures. Then, give them two poster-sized pieces of paper. Have them glue all the living things to one poster and all the non-living things to the other poster.
Music Ideas
I found two really cute songs to help children recognize the differences between living and non-living things.
The first is called “Living Things” and can be found at Kindergarten Nana. It teaches that living things grow and change, need food and air, move on their own, and grow old and die. It’s a very simple song, but contains lots of great information!
The second song is called “The Living Song” and can be found at First Grade W.O.W. It teaches that living things eat, breathe, and grow.
Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow Printable Pack
Click and download the printable pack.
About Jessica
Jessica is a mother of three who passionate about Jesus, music, and photography. Some might call her unorganized, but she prefers the term, creative! She taught in the public schools for two years and now has begun homeschooling her own children (the oldest just started kindergarten). She loves teaching them and watching them learn new things. Jessica also enjoys writing her blog, Candle in the Night, where she shares activities for little ones, recipes, crochet patterns, tips for pregnancy and raising children, and how she find joy in Jesus.
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