The curious minds of children are naturally drawn to bright and beautiful things of nature, like flowers. Teaching flowers for kids can be an exciting and colorful activity due to their pretty pink, ruby red, breezy violet, and sunny yellow colors. These beautiful colors, pleasant fragrances, and interesting shapes can brighten up the dullest of spaces and cheer up many minds. We have created content to assist you in teaching flowers to children. We have also included many interesting facts that would pique their interest, satiate the curious minds, and bring out the nature lover in them.
Types Of Flowers
Flowers are categorized into two major types, namely perfect flowers and imperfect flowers (1)(2)(3). Perfect flowers: Comprising both the male and the female parts, namely the stamens and pistils, perfect flowers can reproduce on their own. These flowers do not depend on outside sources to carry the pollen from a male flower to a female flower. Some examples of perfect flowers include roses, lilies, and dandelions. Imperfect flowers: These are flowers that contain either the male or the female parts. Those comprising only the female parts are called pistillate flowers, and the ones with only male parts are called staminates. They are incapable of reproducing on their own and depend on outside sources for pollination. A few examples of imperfect flowers are melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, and holly.
Parts Of A Flower
Although flowers look simple at first sight, they have a rather complex structure if you study them closely. Several special parts with specific functions make up their complete structure. Some of these parts help the plant reproduce, and others produce sweet nectar to attract insects and bees. The different parts of a flower can be categorized under vegetative parts and reproductive parts (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9) (10).
Vegetative parts of a flower
These are the parts that offer support to the flower.
Sepals: These are the small, leaf-shaped, and green-colored structures found at the base of the flower. They protect the flower in the bud stage and offer support to the petals when they bloom.
Petals: The biggest and most prominent part of a flower, petals render each flower its distinct color and form. They help attract bees, butterflies, birds, and insects and also protect the delicate reproductive parts of the flower.
Pedicel: The pedicel is the stem or stalk of a flower. It provides support to the flower and carries its weight.
Receptacle: It refers to the part of the stalk where the other parts of the flower are attached.
Reproductive parts of a flower
The reproductive parts of a plant contain the female and the male parts.
Female parts
Pistil: It is the female reproductive part of a flower and is located at the center. It consists of the stigma, style, and ovary. Ovary: It is located at the base of the flower and carries seeds, which turn into fruit. Stigma: Sticky in nature, it is located in the center of a flower. Its stickiness helps to hold the pollen grains when they land on it during pollination. It is here that the fertilization process begins. Style: This tube-like structure connects the ovary to the stigma.
Male parts
Stamen: The stamen is the male reproductive part of a flower. It is here that the pollen grains are produced and made available to be carried away by pollinators such as bees, birds, and insects. The stamen is made up of the anthers and the filaments. Anthers: These store pollen grains. They are mostly yellow. Filaments: You cannot miss them when you watch a flower closely. They appear as stems and hold the anther at the tip.
Life-Cycle Of A Flowering Plant
It is fascinating that these beautiful creations can sustain themselves and survive despite all odds. Flowers have the ability to create seeds, which when dispersed, grow into new plants. Let’s learn more about the life-cycle of flowering plants (11).
Pollination
The foremost stage of plant reproduction is pollination. Pollination occurs when the pollen produced by the anther reaches the stigma of the flower. Perfect flowers can self-pollinate, whereas imperfect flowers undergo cross-pollination. Pollination is facilitated by insects/animals or by the wind. Insect-pollinated flowers: Bright in color, such flowers release a pleasant fragrance and also produce nectar to lure insects and bees. These insects and bees then transfer the pollen from the anther to the stigmas. Wind-pollinated flowers: These flowers usually have a dull appearance, and they do not give out any fragrance. These flowers produce excessive amounts of pollen in the anthers located outside the flowers. The wind carries the pollen to their stigmas.
Fertilization
Upon reaching the stigma, a pollen tube grows from the grain and travels to the ovary. The male cells from the pollen reach the female cells in the ovules, fertilizing the plant. The ovule then changes into a seed.
Seed dispersal
Since plants cannot move from one place to another, they depend on “taxis” to transport their seeds to other places. The seeds get dispersed from the parent plant through bats, birds, bees, the wind, and water. In some plants, the seeds burst open with force when they ripen and launch seeds in the air.
Germination
The seeds settle down in their new spot, and with the proper moisture, light, and nutrients from the soil, it breaks open. The roots grow deeper into the soil, and the shoots grow upwards and form the stem.
Growth and flowering
The stem eventually grows taller and supports the leaves to make food for the plant through photosynthesis. As the plant grows, it matures and produces buds, which emerge into flowers, and the plant cycle repeats.
Flower Facts For Kids
Here are some exciting facts about flowers that you could introduce to your little ones.
References:
title: “11 Flower Facts For Kids Types Parts And Life Cycle” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-09” author: “Manuela Telfer”
The curious minds of children are naturally drawn to bright and beautiful things of nature, like flowers. Teaching flowers for kids can be an exciting and colorful activity due to their pretty pink, ruby red, breezy violet, and sunny yellow colors. These beautiful colors, pleasant fragrances, and interesting shapes can brighten up the dullest of spaces and cheer up many minds. We have created content to assist you in teaching flowers to children. We have also included many interesting facts that would pique their interest, satiate the curious minds, and bring out the nature lover in them.
Types Of Flowers
Flowers are categorized into two major types, namely perfect flowers and imperfect flowers (1)(2)(3). Perfect flowers: Comprising both the male and the female parts, namely the stamens and pistils, perfect flowers can reproduce on their own. These flowers do not depend on outside sources to carry the pollen from a male flower to a female flower. Some examples of perfect flowers include roses, lilies, and dandelions. Imperfect flowers: These are flowers that contain either the male or the female parts. Those comprising only the female parts are called pistillate flowers, and the ones with only male parts are called staminates. They are incapable of reproducing on their own and depend on outside sources for pollination. A few examples of imperfect flowers are melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, and holly.
Parts Of A Flower
Although flowers look simple at first sight, they have a rather complex structure if you study them closely. Several special parts with specific functions make up their complete structure. Some of these parts help the plant reproduce, and others produce sweet nectar to attract insects and bees. The different parts of a flower can be categorized under vegetative parts and reproductive parts (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9) (10).
Vegetative parts of a flower
These are the parts that offer support to the flower.
Sepals: These are the small, leaf-shaped, and green-colored structures found at the base of the flower. They protect the flower in the bud stage and offer support to the petals when they bloom.
Petals: The biggest and most prominent part of a flower, petals render each flower its distinct color and form. They help attract bees, butterflies, birds, and insects and also protect the delicate reproductive parts of the flower.
Pedicel: The pedicel is the stem or stalk of a flower. It provides support to the flower and carries its weight.
Receptacle: It refers to the part of the stalk where the other parts of the flower are attached.
Reproductive parts of a flower
The reproductive parts of a plant contain the female and the male parts.
Female parts
Pistil: It is the female reproductive part of a flower and is located at the center. It consists of the stigma, style, and ovary. Ovary: It is located at the base of the flower and carries seeds, which turn into fruit. Stigma: Sticky in nature, it is located in the center of a flower. Its stickiness helps to hold the pollen grains when they land on it during pollination. It is here that the fertilization process begins. Style: This tube-like structure connects the ovary to the stigma.
Male parts
Stamen: The stamen is the male reproductive part of a flower. It is here that the pollen grains are produced and made available to be carried away by pollinators such as bees, birds, and insects. The stamen is made up of the anthers and the filaments. Anthers: These store pollen grains. They are mostly yellow. Filaments: You cannot miss them when you watch a flower closely. They appear as stems and hold the anther at the tip.
Life-Cycle Of A Flowering Plant
It is fascinating that these beautiful creations can sustain themselves and survive despite all odds. Flowers have the ability to create seeds, which when dispersed, grow into new plants. Let’s learn more about the life-cycle of flowering plants (11).
Pollination
The foremost stage of plant reproduction is pollination. Pollination occurs when the pollen produced by the anther reaches the stigma of the flower. Perfect flowers can self-pollinate, whereas imperfect flowers undergo cross-pollination. Pollination is facilitated by insects/animals or by the wind. Insect-pollinated flowers: Bright in color, such flowers release a pleasant fragrance and also produce nectar to lure insects and bees. These insects and bees then transfer the pollen from the anther to the stigmas. Wind-pollinated flowers: These flowers usually have a dull appearance, and they do not give out any fragrance. These flowers produce excessive amounts of pollen in the anthers located outside the flowers. The wind carries the pollen to their stigmas.
Fertilization
Upon reaching the stigma, a pollen tube grows from the grain and travels to the ovary. The male cells from the pollen reach the female cells in the ovules, fertilizing the plant. The ovule then changes into a seed.
Seed dispersal
Since plants cannot move from one place to another, they depend on “taxis” to transport their seeds to other places. The seeds get dispersed from the parent plant through bats, birds, bees, the wind, and water. In some plants, the seeds burst open with force when they ripen and launch seeds in the air.
Germination
The seeds settle down in their new spot, and with the proper moisture, light, and nutrients from the soil, it breaks open. The roots grow deeper into the soil, and the shoots grow upwards and form the stem.
Growth and flowering
The stem eventually grows taller and supports the leaves to make food for the plant through photosynthesis. As the plant grows, it matures and produces buds, which emerge into flowers, and the plant cycle repeats.
Flower Facts For Kids
Here are some exciting facts about flowers that you could introduce to your little ones.
