Garden Cycle Quest

A playful 30-minute game that introduces Pre-K students to the garden’s cycle of organic matter, water, nitrogen, and carbon through movement, role-play, and simple sorting activities.

Learning Goals

• Build foundational science vocabulary: organic matter, water, nitrogen, carbon
• Experience how each element moves through the garden “cycle”
• Practice collaboration, listening, and sorting skills

Materials

• Role Cards (large, colorful):
  • Organic Matter (leaf, compost, worm)
  • Water (raindrop, puddle)
  • Nitrogen (pea sprout, fertilizer bag)
  • Carbon (plant, air bubble)
• Picture Cards (small cards to sort): dead leaf, raindrop, plant sprout, worm, air bubble, cloud, soil packet, fertilizer bag
• Cycle Mat: a large circle on the floor divided into four quadrants, each labeled with an element icon
• Sorting Bins or Hula Hoops labeled with the same four icons
• Optional: simple costume props (leaf hat, blue ribbon, green cape, gray hat)

Setup (5 minutes)

1. Place the Cycle Mat in the center of the circle.
2. Arrange the four Sorting Bins around the room, each bin under its matching icon.
3. Shuffle Picture Cards face down in a pile.
4. Invite 4–8 children to pick (or draw) a Role Card.

Game Play (25 minutes)

1. Introduction & Warm-Up (3 min)

• Teacher gathers students by the mat, points to each quadrant, and names it: “This is our Water spot! This is our Nitrogen spot!”
• Briefly explain each term in child-friendly words:
  • Organic Matter = old leaves, compost, worms
  • Water = rain, puddles
  • Nitrogen = plant food in soil
  • Carbon = air that plants breathe and give back

2. Role-Play Cycle Quest (10 min)

1. Children stand in their element quadrant on the mat.
2. Teacher rings a small bell or says “Go!”
3. Each child uses a simple action for their role:
   • Organic Matter: crinkle hands like leaves falling
   • Water: wiggle fingers like raindrops
   • Nitrogen: pretend to sprinkle fertilizer
   • Carbon: take a deep breath and puff out chest
4. On each “turn,” teacher calls out a new connection, e.g., “Rain washes from Water to Organic Matter!”
   • The Water child “flows” to Organic Matter’s spot.
   • They each make their actions together and say, “Water feeds Organic Matter!”
5. Continue naming connections until all four have moved through a few cycles.

3. Sorting Race (10 min)

1. Scatter Picture Cards face up around the mat.
2. On “Go!”, students take turns running to pick one card and bring it to the matching Sorting Bin.
3. Once all cards are sorted, review as a group:
   • Hold up a card, ask “Which bin is this?”
   • Ask a volunteer to explain why (e.g., “A raindrop goes with Water because rain gives water to plants.”)

4. Reflection & Drawing (2 min)

• Gather students around the mat. Ask:
  • “Which element did you like being?”
  • “How do two elements work together?”
• Hand out a blank piece of paper and crayons. Ask students to draw one part of the cycle they remember most.

Draw your favorite garden cycle moment here:

Extensions & Follow-Up

• Story Time: Read a picture book about compost or rain.
• Outdoor Walk: Visit a school garden and identify water, organic matter, or living plants.
• Mini Compost Jar: Let children add scraps and water to watch decomposition over days.

Enjoy your Garden Cycle Quest! 🌱💧🐛☁️