Looking for simple Sunflowers EYFS activities you can take outside? Sunflowers are a brilliant early years topic because they help children explore plants, growth, height, colour, seeds, weather, bees, nature, art, maths, stories and outdoor play in a joyful and hands-on way. New to this area of teaching? Explore – What is outdoor learning?
A sunflower topic works beautifully in nurseries, Reception classes, childminding settings, home education spaces and school gardens. Children can plant seeds, observe changes, measure growth, paint with yellow petals, count seeds, build tall sunflower structures, create sunflower art and talk about what plants need to grow. Like this resource? Download this resource and more take a 60-day free trial.
At The Muddy Puddle Teacher®, we believe outdoor learning should be simple, playful and rooted in real experiences. You do not need expensive equipment or a huge outdoor area. Sunflower seeds, soil, pots, watering cans, sticks, chalk, petals, leaves, tape measures, magnifying glasses and a sunny spot are enough to create meaningful EYFS outdoor learning. For more outdoor learning ideas head to the Outdoor Leaning Hub.
New to Outdoor Learning? Start Here
If outdoor learning feels overwhelming, sunflowers are a lovely topic to begin with because they give children something real to care for and observe over time.
Start small. Plant a few sunflower seeds in pots, place them somewhere sunny and give children responsibility for watering them. Talk about what the seeds need, what might happen next and how the children can help them grow.
The key is to keep the learning child-led and practical. Children do not need long explanations. They need to touch the soil, look closely at seeds, pour water, notice shoots, compare heights and talk about what they can see.
Outdoor learning with sunflowers works best when children revisit the plants regularly. A little observation each day helps children understand growth, change and care.
Try This Tomorrow
If you only do one thing, try this simple sunflower activity.
Plant a Sunflower Seed
Take children outside and give each child, pair or small group a sunflower seed to plant. Let them fill a pot with soil, press in the seed, cover it gently and water it.
Time: 15–25 minutes
Prep: Low
Resources: Sunflower seeds, soil, pots, watering cans, labels, sticks or chalk
Learning: Planting, growth, care, fine motor skills, communication, understanding the world and responsibility
As children plant, adults can use language such as seed, soil, water, sun, grow, roots, shoot, stem, leaves, flower, tall and care.
Ask simple questions such as, what do you think will happen next, where should we put the pot, what does the seed need, how can we look after it?
This gives children a real outdoor learning experience and a reason to keep returning to the topic.
Why Sunflowers Work Well in EYFS
Sunflowers work beautifully in EYFS because they are bright, bold and exciting. They grow tall, have large yellow petals and produce seeds children can see and touch. This makes them easier for young children to observe than many smaller plants.
A sunflower topic supports communication and language, understanding the world, maths, expressive arts, physical development, personal and social development and early literacy.
Children can talk about how plants grow, count seeds, compare heights, draw flowers, water plants, describe colours, notice bees and butterflies, make sunflower pictures and take responsibility for caring for living things.
Sunflowers also create awe and wonder. Children love seeing a tiny seed become a tall plant. It helps them understand that nature changes slowly and that care matters.
Sunflower Planting Activities for EYFS
Planting sunflower seeds is one of the best ways to begin this topic.
Children can explore the seed first by looking closely, touching it and describing it. They might notice that it is small, hard, stripy, smooth, pointed or tiny.
Then they can plant it in soil, water it and place it somewhere sunny.
Over the next few weeks, children can observe what changes. They might notice the first shoot, small leaves, a taller stem, bigger leaves and eventually a flower head.
Adults can support by saying, the seed has changed, the shoot is growing, the stem is taller, the leaves are bigger, the plant needs water, the sunflower is turning towards the light.
This helps children build early science vocabulary through real experience. Like this resource? Download this resource and more take a 60-day free trial.
Sunflower Maths Outdoors
Sunflowers are perfect for early maths.
Children can count seeds, compare plant heights, order sunflower stems from shortest to tallest, count petals, measure growth with string, sticks or tape measures, compare leaf sizes and make sunflower number pictures using petals, stones or chalk.
You might ask, how many seeds can you count, which sunflower is taller, which leaf is bigger, can you find one more petal, how many pots need water, can you put the flowers in size order?
Children can also create sunflower number circles outdoors. Draw a large sunflower with chalk and ask children to place natural objects in the centre to match a number.
This keeps maths practical, visual and playful. For more outdoor learning ideas head to the Outdoor Leaning Hub.
Sunflower Art and Creative Activities
Sunflowers are a lovely inspiration for early years art.
Children can paint giant sunflowers outside, create sunflower pictures using petals and leaves, make chalk sunflowers on the playground, build sunflowers from sticks and stones, print with leaves, mix yellow and orange paints or create large collaborative sunflower murals.
They can look closely at real sunflowers first and notice the round centre, long petals, tall stem, big leaves and bright colours.
Adults can model language such as round, tall, yellow, green, soft, bright, smooth, rough, centre, petal, leaf and stem.
The focus does not need to be perfect artwork. The value is in looking closely, choosing materials, creating, talking and expressing ideas.
Sunflower Sensory Play
Sunflowers can inspire beautiful sensory play.
Children can explore sunflower seeds, soil, petals, leaves, water, herbs, yellow fabric, natural loose parts and sunflower-themed trays. They might scoop seeds, pour soil, water pretend flowers, make sunflower soup, create yellow nature potions or use petals in a mud kitchen.
Keep sensory play safe and supervised, especially with seeds and younger children.
Sensory sunflower play supports fine motor skills, vocabulary, imaginative play, curiosity and self-regulation.
You might say, the seeds are tiny, the soil feels crumbly, the petals are soft, the water is cool, you are pouring carefully, you are mixing slowly.
Sunflowers and Bees
Sunflowers link beautifully to bees and pollination in an age-appropriate way.
EYFS children do not need complicated explanations, but they can understand that bees visit flowers and that flowers are important for wildlife.
Take children outside to look for bees safely from a distance. Talk about how bees need flowers and how we can help by growing plants.
Children can make bee-friendly garden signs, create sunflower and bee artwork, count toy bees on sunflower pictures or act out bees visiting flowers.
Ask simple questions such as, who might visit the sunflower, why do bees like flowers, how can we help bees, what other flowers can we see?
This supports understanding the world, care for nature and early environmental awareness.
Sunflower Stories and Literacy
Sunflowers can support early literacy through stories, mark-making and vocabulary.
Children can listen to sunflower stories outside, draw their sunflower, make plant labels, create signs for the garden, write simple seed packets, mark how tall the plant is or tell a story about a tiny seed growing into a giant flower.
You might use simple sentence stems such as, my seed is, the sunflower is, it needs, I can see, I watered, it grew.
Children can also create a sunflower growth story using pictures or natural objects. A seed, a small shoot, a stem, leaves and a flower can help them sequence the life of a sunflower.
This makes literacy practical and meaningful. Explore more resources – KS2 Sunflowers.
Nature Sunflowers Art Task KS2
Sunflower Role Play Outdoors
A sunflower topic can become lovely outdoor role play.
Children might create a garden centre, flower shop, seed shop, bee garden, plant hospital or watering team. They can sell pretend seeds, make flower labels, water plants, care for poorly flowers or deliver flowers to friends.
This supports communication, maths, mark-making and personal development.
Adults can join the play by asking, how much are the sunflower seeds, which plant needs water, can I buy a tall flower, where should I plant this seed, who is looking after the garden today?
Role play helps children use topic vocabulary in a natural way.
Sunflower Physical Development Ideas
Sunflowers can also inspire movement.
Children can pretend to be tiny seeds curling up small, shoots pushing through the soil, stems growing tall, leaves stretching wide and flower heads turning towards the sun.
They can move like bees buzzing between flowers, carry watering cans, dig soil, transport pots, make large chalk sunflowers or build tall sunflower towers using crates and loose parts.
This supports gross motor skills, coordination, strength, balance and imaginative movement. Fine more ideas discover – Nature Art Sunflowers Activities.
Sunflowers and SEND Outdoor Learning
Sunflower activities can support children with SEND because they are sensory, visual, practical and repetitive.
Children can access the learning through touching soil, watering plants, choosing petals, matching colours, counting seeds, watching growth, drawing flowers or simply spending calm time near the plants.
Some children may enjoy the routine of checking and watering the sunflower each day. Others may enjoy the strong visual focus of the bright yellow flower or the sensory feel of soil and seeds.
Use simple language, visual prompts and repeated routines. Children can show understanding by pointing, choosing, watering, placing, drawing, smelling, touching or saying key words.
Outdoor sunflower learning can feel calm, purposeful and nurturing. For more outdoor learning ideas head to the Outdoor Leaning Hub.
Sunflower Activities for Greater Challenge
For children who are ready for more challenge, add prediction, comparison and explanation.
They might predict which sunflower will grow tallest, compare plants in sun and shade, measure growth each week, record changes in a simple chart, look closely at the flower head with a magnifying glass or explain what the plant needs to stay healthy.
You might ask, why do you think this sunflower is taller, what has changed since last week, what might happen next, how do we know it is growing, what would happen if we forgot to water it?
This supports deeper thinking while staying appropriate for EYFS.
Want Ready-to-Use Sunflowers EYFS Resources?
The Muddy Puddle Teacher® helps busy teachers, nursery practitioners, childminders, home educators and parents save planning time with simple outdoor learning resources.
Inside the Muddy Puddle Teacher® membership, you will find ready-to-use EYFS outdoor learning activities, sunflower topic ideas, plant activities, outdoor maths, literacy prompts, sensory play, SEND support, forest school links, seasonal resources and simple planning to help you take learning outside.
Our resources are designed to help you use natural materials, reduce planning stress and make outdoor learning feel manageable, joyful and meaningful.
Ready for More EYFS Outdoor Learning Ideas?
If you enjoyed these Sunflowers EYFS outdoor learning activities, you can access hundreds more outdoor learning resources inside The Muddy Puddle Teacher®.
Like this resource? Download this resource and more take a 60-day free trial and explore outdoor learning resources for EYFS, nurseries, Reception, KS1, KS2, SEND, forest school, outdoor play, science, maths, literacy and seasonal topics.
Start with one sunflower seed, one watering routine or one sunflower art activity, then build from there.
Outdoor learning does not have to be complicated. Sometimes, it begins with a tiny seed and a child wondering what will happen next.
Sunflowers EYFS FAQs
How can I teach sunflowers in EYFS?
You can teach sunflowers in EYFS by planting seeds, observing growth, watering plants, comparing heights, counting seeds, creating sunflower art, exploring petals and leaves and talking about what plants need to grow. For more outdoor learning ideas head to the Outdoor Leaning Hub.
What are good Sunflowers EYFS activities?
Good Sunflowers EYFS activities include planting sunflower seeds, measuring growth, sunflower painting, counting seeds, sunflower sensory trays, bee and sunflower role play, garden centre play and sunflower story sequencing.
How do sunflowers support outdoor learning?
Sunflowers support outdoor learning because children can grow, observe, measure, water, draw, describe and care for real plants outside. This links to science, maths, literacy, art, wellbeing and nature connection.
What do EYFS children learn from planting sunflowers?
EYFS children learn about seeds, soil, water, sunlight, growth, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, care, responsibility and seasonal change.
Can sunflowers support EYFS maths?
Yes. Sunflowers can support EYFS maths through counting seeds, comparing plant heights, measuring growth, ordering sizes, counting petals and making sunflower number pictures.
Can sunflower activities support SEND learners?
Yes. Sunflower activities can support SEND learners because they are sensory, visual, practical and repetitive. Children can participate through watering, touching soil, looking closely, choosing petals, counting seeds and observing change.
Do I need a garden to grow sunflowers in EYFS?
No. You can grow sunflowers in pots, planters, tubs, raised beds or any sunny outdoor space. Even a small outdoor area can support sunflower planting and observation.
For more outdoor learning ideas head to the Outdoor Leaning Hub.
