Why Do Sunflowers Follow the Sun?

 




Scientific Explanation:

Young sunflowers show a behavior called heliotropism. This means they move their heads to follow the Sun across the sky. During the day, their stems grow faster on one side than the other, which makes the flower turn toward the sunlight. At night, the growth pattern changes again, and the sunflower turns back to the east to wait for sunrise. This daily cycle helps the plant get more light for photosynthesis, which supports better growth. When sunflowers become mature, they usually stop moving and face east permanently because it helps attract more pollinators in the morning.


Child-Friendly Explanation:

Sunflowers love the Sun. They follow it like a friend! When the Sun moves across the sky, the sunflower slowly turns its head to watch it. At night, it moves back to face the sunrise, like it is getting ready for a new day. This helps the sunflower get lots of light so it can grow tall and strong. When the sunflower becomes an adult, it stops following the Sun and usually keeps its face toward the morning Sun to stay warm and bright.


Open-Ended Questions:

-If you were a flower, would you want to follow the Sun too? Why?

-What do you think happens on a cloudy day ? Where would the sunflower look?


Short Hands-On Activity: 

Give children a small toy flower on a stick or make a simple paper sunflower. Shine a flashlight around the room and invite children to “turn” their flower to face the light, just like a sunflower follows the Sun. Move the light slowly from one side to the other and let children move together with it. Then talk about how real sunflowers move to get more light during the day. This helps them understand heliotropism through play.










References

Britannica. (2024). Heliotropism in plants. Retrieved from

  https://www.britannica.com




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