Sunflowers are such a cheerful way to bring a little nature into early learning! I created these free printable sunflower worksheets to give preschool and kindergarten learners a simple way to practice early literacy, handwriting, fine motor skills, and basic plant vocabulary while exploring a fun sunflower theme.
This free set includes four different learning activities, so it works well for a sunflower theme, flower unit, spring or summer learning, garden study, or even a letter S lesson. The activities are simple enough to use at home while still being classroom-friendly for teachers who need an easy print-and-go resource.
Free Printable Sunflower Worksheets for Early Learners
A themed worksheet can make skills that children practice again and again feel a little more interesting. Instead of working on letter formation or tracing in isolation, these sunflower worksheets connect those skills to something children can recognize in the world around them.
I also wanted the activities in this freebie to cover more than one skill. Children can practice the letter S, learn the basic parts of a sunflower, trace lines, work on the word “sunflower,” and search for lowercase letters.
That makes the set especially useful for:
- Preschool and kindergarten
- Homeschool lessons
- Literacy centers
- Morning work
- Fine motor practice
- Letter S activities
- Flower and garden themes
- Spring and summer learning
- Early finishers
- Quiet learning time
Print the entire set for a mini sunflower lesson, or choose individual pages to complement what your child or students are currently learning.
Sunflower Letter S Handwriting Worksheet
The first activity introduces S is for sunflower and combines letter recognition with handwriting practice. Children can color the large uppercase S, lowercase s, sunflower picture, and the words at the top of the page.
Then they can trace the word “sunflower” before practicing uppercase S, lowercase s, and uppercase/lowercase Ss together.
I think combining a familiar picture with a letter is a helpful way to give young learners another connection to the sound they are practicing. You can say the word “sunflower” together and emphasize its beginning /s/ sound before starting the tracing activity.
Extend the Letter S Activity
After completing the worksheet, ask children to think of a few more words beginning with S.
Try words such as:
sun
seed
sand
sock
snake
star
You could write their answers on a whiteboard or piece of paper and circle each beginning S.
Label the Sunflower Cut and Paste Worksheet
I included a label the sunflower worksheet to introduce children to some of the basic parts of a sunflower.
Children cut out the five vocabulary words and paste each one into its correct spot on the sunflower diagram. The words included are leaf, flower, seed, stem, and roots.
This page adds a little beginner science to the set while also sneaking in cutting, matching, and fine motor practice.
Talk About the Parts of a Sunflower
Before children begin cutting and pasting, take a few minutes to look at the sunflower together.
Point out each part and talk about what it does. Keep the explanations simple for younger learners:
Roots: Help hold the plant in the ground and take in water.
Stem: Supports the plant.
Leaves: Help the plant make food.
Flower: The colorful part of the sunflower that we usually notice first.
Seeds: Form in the sunflower head and can eventually grow into new plants.
If you have access to a real sunflower, garden, or sunflower seeds, bring them into the lesson. Seeing and touching the real thing can make the vocabulary on the worksheet much more meaningful.
Sunflower Line Tracing Worksheet
Fine motor practice fits perfectly into a flower theme, so I also created a sunflower line tracing page.
Instead of tracing random lines across the page, children trace the petals, center details, and other lines that make up a large sunflower. They can then color their completed picture and trace the word sunflower at the bottom.
Tracing activities help young learners practice the controlled hand movements they’ll need when they begin forming letters and numbers independently.
For an easy reusable activity, place the worksheet inside a dry-erase pocket or page protector. Children can trace the sunflower with a dry-erase marker, erase it, and practice again.
Letter S Sunflower Letter Hunt
The final page turns letter recognition into a simple sunflower-themed search.
Children look at the lowercase letters scattered around the sunflower and dab or color every letter s they find.
Dot markers are an easy choice for this activity, but they certainly aren’t required. Children can use crayons, markers, colored pencils, counters, or small manipulatives instead.
For children who are still learning to recognize S, show them the target letter first and talk about its shape. More confident learners can complete the hunt independently and then count how many lowercase s letters they found.
Ways to Use These Free Sunflower Worksheets
One of the reasons I enjoy creating themed printables is their flexibility. A four-page set doesn’t have to become an entire unit. You can tuck individual activities into lessons you’re already teaching.
For a letter S lesson, use the handwriting and letter hunt pages. During a plant or garden unit, focus on labeling the sunflower and examining a real flower. For fine motor practice, use the tracing, coloring, cutting, and pasting activities.
You could also spread the pages throughout the week instead of completing everything at once.
Turn Your Sunflower Worksheets Into a Mini Nature Lesson
These free printable sunflower worksheets can also become the starting point for a simple sunflower study.
After children label their sunflower, look at real sunflower seeds together. Talk about what a seed needs to grow and what happens after it is planted.
If you have the time and space, plant a sunflower seed in a small cup or pot. Children can observe it over the following days and eventually look for some of the same plant parts they identified on their printable.
You don’t need an elaborate science experiment. Sometimes a seed, a little soil, and a sunny window are enough to turn a worksheet into a memorable lesson.
Sunflower Books to Read With Kids
Picture books can help turn these worksheets into a fuller sunflower-themed lesson. Look for books that introduce children to sunflowers, seeds, gardens, and plant growth.
A few titles that would fit nicely include:
Sunflower House by Eve Bunting
A sweet story about children planting sunflowers and watching them grow into a special sunflower hideaway.
From Seed to Sunflower by Gerald Legg
A nonfiction choice for introducing children to how a sunflower develops from a tiny seed into a mature plant.
A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston
Beautiful illustrations and simple information make this a lovely addition to a broader seed or plant lesson.
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
This classic story follows a seed through its journey and works especially well when talking about how plants grow.
Reading a book before completing the worksheets can give children some background knowledge and new vocabulary to bring to the activities.
Make a Paper Plate Sunflower Craft
After completing the free printable sunflower worksheets, add a hands-on activity with this paper plate sunflower craft. Children can create their own sunflower while practicing cutting, tracing, coloring, painting, and gluing.
The printable template for this craft is included in my full Sunflower Worksheets Pack in my TPT shop, making it easy to add the craft to a larger sunflower or plant unit.
Supplies for the Paper Plate Sunflower Craft
You will need:
- Paper plate
- Sunflower craft template
- Yellow and green paint or crayons
- Brown construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
How to Make a Paper Plate Sunflower
- Color or paint the paper plate yellow.
- Place the template on the paper plate and trace around the outside edge. Cut along the traced lines to create the sunflower petals.
- Cut the circle from brown construction paper and glue it to the center of the sunflower.
- Cut the stem and leaves from green construction paper.
- Glue the stem to the back of the sunflower.
- Glue the leaves onto the stem.
- Let the glue dry and enjoy your sunflower!
More Printable Activities to Add to a Sunflower Theme
If you’re building a larger flower, garden, or plant unit, these sunflower worksheets can be paired with other early learning printables.
Consider adding activities for:
plant life cycles
flower parts
spring vocabulary
beginning sounds
alphabet tracing
counting seeds
number recognition
patterns
shapes
color words
fine motor tracing
garden vocabulary
Mixing literacy, math, science, and hands-on activities can help you create a more complete thematic unit without making every activity feel like another worksheet.
Pin These Free Printable Sunflower Worksheets for Later
Not ready for your sunflower lesson quite yet? Save this post to your preschool, kindergarten, homeschool, spring activities, summer learning, or garden-themed Pinterest board.
That way, these free printable sunflower worksheets will be easy to find when you’re planning a sunflower, flower, plant, or letter S theme.
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Learning With Sunflowers
Sunflowers give us so many natural opportunities to introduce early science, literacy, and fine motor skills. With tracing, handwriting, letter recognition, cutting and pasting, and basic plant vocabulary all included, these free printable sunflower worksheets make it easy to add a little sunflower learning to your day.
I created this set to be simple enough to print and use without a lot of preparation while still giving children several different ways to practice important early learning skills. Print all four activities for a mini sunflower lesson or simply choose the pages that work best for your child, homeschool, or classroom.
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