Parts of a plant: roots, stem, leaves and flowers: what children learn
Match roots, stem, leaves, flowers, trunk and bark to what they do. A free Kindergarten science game about plant parts, with a printable game and worksheet.
Suggested kindergarten practice, selected by skill and reading demand. US states and schools teach these topics in different grades; this is not a state-standards alignment claim.
Next Generation Science Standards teaching connection: LS1.A: external plant structures. Plant-part vocabulary can prepare learners to discuss how structures help plants live. The linked Grade 1 expectation also involves designing a solution; this labeling game does not assess that design task. Read the framework.
How to play
Label the picture. Tap a label, then the numbered spot it belongs to. You can also drag a label, or press its number. Each game has 2 pictures to label, with no timer. A label in the wrong spot comes back so you can try again, and you get a point for each label placed right first time. You can also choose Match the pairs: match 6 pairs, with no timer.
Step by step
- Start at the bottom. Roots are usually underground. They anchor the plant and soak up water from the soil.
- Move up the stem. The stem holds the plant upright and carries water up to the leaves and flowers. On a tree, the stem is the trunk.
- Look at the leaves. Leaves catch sunlight. The plant uses it to make its own food, which is why most leaves face the light.
- Find the flower. Flowers are where seeds are made. The bright petals attract insects such as bees.
- Follow the seed. After the flower, a fruit or seed pod often forms around the seeds. A seed can grow into a new plant.
Worked examples
Example 1: Which part holds the plant in the soil and takes in water?
Working: This part is under the ground, spreading out like fingers.
Answer: The roots.
Example 2: What is a tree trunk?
Working: A tree is a plant. Its trunk does the same job as a stem: it holds the tree up and carries water.
Answer: The thick, woody stem of a tree.
Example 3: What do petals do?
Working: Petals are the colorful parts of the flower. Their color and smell help bees and other insects find the flower.
Answer: They attract insects.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Thinking trees are not plants. Compare a tree with a sunflower part by part: roots, trunk (stem), branches, leaves, and often flowers or blossom.
- Calling the whole flower the "petals". Show that petals are one part of the flower; the middle of the flower is where seeds start to form.
- Thinking plants eat soil. Roots take in water, not food. Plants make their food in their leaves using sunlight.
- Forgetting the roots because they are hidden. Gently pull up a weed, or grow a bean in a clear jar, so children can see the roots.
Activities to try at home
- Pull up a weed together and name each part from the roots to the flower.
- Grow a bean in a jar with damp kitchen roll and draw it every few days.
- On a walk, point at a tree and ask your child to name its trunk, branches, leaves and bark.
- Cut an apple in half and find the seeds inside the fruit.
Ideas for the classroom
- Give each group a real flowering plant (in a pot) and labels to stick on the parts.
- Build a giant tree on the wall with labeled roots, trunk, branches, leaves and blossom.
- Play the matching game in pairs, then ask students to draw and label a plant from memory.
- Collect leaves, seeds and fruits on a nature walk and sort them by part.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a color-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
How should I choose this game for my learner?
Suggested kindergarten practice, selected by skill and reading demand. US states and schools teach these topics in different grades; this is not a state-standards alignment claim.
Is a seed part of the fruit?
The fruit grows from the flower and holds the seeds, so the seeds are inside the fruit. An apple, a tomato and a pea pod are all fruits.
How should I choose this game for my learner?
Suggested kindergarten practice, selected by skill and reading demand. US states and schools teach these topics in different grades; this is not a state-standards alignment claim.