Explore Spring with Gail Gibbons - Early Elementary Unit Study | Knowledge Crates

THIS UNIT SHIPS 3.1.26

The minute spring shows up, kids turn into tiny scientists. They’re spotting worms on the sidewalk, pointing out every bud on every branch, and asking the kind of questions that start with “Why…” and end with you trying to remember what a stem does. Explore Spring with Gail Gibbons is built for that exact season of life. This spring homeschool unit study is designed for preschool through early elementary and teaches how plants grow, where food comes from, and how spring changes the world around us through hands-on, screen-free learning.

This is a complete, open-and-go unit study, so you don’t have to plan lessons or gather supplies. The unit is anchored by four Gail Gibbons books—The Vegetables We Eat, The Fruits We Eat, From Seed to Plant, and the From Seed to Plant Workbook—which give kids a clear, kid-friendly foundation in plant science and nonfiction reading. From there, children learn by doing: planting and observing real growth with Watch it Grow cucumbers, Watch it Grow strawberries, and Growing a Bean, plus the classic Grass Heads science activity. These are the kinds of activities that naturally build early science skills like predicting, noticing patterns, and recording changes over time—without your child realizing they’re “doing school.”

Spring is also the season of pollinators, and this unit makes that connection stick. Kids explore pollination with a hands-on activity that helps them understand how flowers become fruits and why bees and butterflies matter. Then comes the showstopper: the Butterfly Garden Kit. Children watch the full life cycle as a caterpillar forms a chrysalis, becomes a butterfly, and is released into the wild. It’s real science, real observation, and one of those learning moments that becomes a core memory.

Math and early literacy are woven in with hands-on tools that feel like play. Kids practice counting, sorting, number recognition, and comparing quantities with the Count the Crop math mat and Veggie Patch Math Mat. The Who Lives in the Garden I Spy Mat builds observation skills, attention to detail, and vocabulary using spring garden themes. Sensory learning is built in too, with Crayola Play Dough and a Build a Flower Garden dough mat that strengthens fine-motor skills while reinforcing flower parts and garden concepts.

Art in this unit isn’t “extra.” It’s part of the learning. Children create Root to Bloom Art to show how plants grow from roots to flowers, Tops and Bottoms Veggie Art to explore which foods grow above or below ground, and Strawberry Art to tie fruit to seeds and plant growth. They’ll also complete a Butterfly Directed Drawing to connect spring life cycles and build drawing confidence. The unit wraps with a Spring Life Cycle Diorama that pulls the whole theme together—plants, pollination, growth, and seasonal change—in a visual project kids can explain in their own words.

For pacing, we provide a free 4-week plan families can follow for an easy, week-by-week rhythm. But it’s flexible on purpose: you can complete it faster if your child is on a roll, or stretch it longer if you want a gentler pace or you’d like the growing projects and butterfly life cycle to unfold naturally. There’s also a companion blog post that walks through the four-week plan, shows activities in action, and shares practical homeschool tips that work in a real life setting—because hands-on learning is wonderful, but it’s even better when it’s actually doable.

Additional Information: Items may vary due to current availability. This unit study crate contains products not manufactured by the seller. Please be advised that crates may contain small parts that may not be suitable for children under 3 years. Do not consume crate contents.