IB unit "How the world works". Growing Our Green Friends

As part of the unit, preschoolers explored how plants grow and what they need to thrive. One of the most exciting activities was making their very own Oliziukas—a little grass-headed figure made from a thin sock or stocking, filled with sawdust, cotton, and seeds. When watered daily, green “hair” starts to grow from the top!

Creating the Oliziukas helped children develop their fine motor skills and taught them about seed germination. By taking care of their little green friend, children learned about responsibility and patience. It was also a great way to explore different materials and their properties.

Before starting the craft, children learned about plants: they got to know the main parts of a plant and what conditions are needed for seeds to grow..

The preschoolers visited Kaunas “Atžalynas” Library for a special educational activity where they created their green little “pets.” As the wheat seeds sprouted and grew, children were excited to see the green “hair” getting longer day by day. Soon, they could even create fun hairstyles!

While watering, observing, and exploring how seeds grow, preschoolers noticed that even though all seeds were planted at the same time, they didn’t grow in the same way. This discovery sparked curiosity and brought lots of smiles to their faces.