The Pollinator game

Back in May we went to the 'science rendevous', an annual science fair in Toronto, Canada. 

There were lots of games and hands on activities for the children.

 I particularly enjoyed this Pollinator game, 

to explain the process of plant reproduction.

 Flowers were made with large bright petals, and at the centre a plastic drinks bottle with a whole cut in it large enough to reach inside the bottle. 

You'll need to make at least two of these flowers.

 The bottle had tiny pom poms placed in the bottom. This is the pollen.

Each child was given an insect to pollinate the flowers, made of a lollipop stick with an insect sticker on the end.

On the back of the lollipop stick was a sticky pad. 

The pad was removed...

 

 and then the insect pollinator could reach into the flower and collect the pom-pom pollen. Once you've loaded up with pollen...

 You go to the next flower and pollinate it.

This is a great way for young children to learn about pollination.

Back home in England, we carried on learning about plant parts, pollination and fertilization.

 As the flowers were in full bloom in the garden, why learn from a book.

We looked at a flower diagram and then we identified the parts on real flowers in the garden. We had a great morning in the garden looking at the flowers, watching the bees and butterflies visiting them. We talked about how the flowers are adapted to insect and wind pollination and Jemima enjoyed taking photos.