Biological Sciences Resources

These Life Cycle Sequencing Activities are fun and engaging teaching resources to help students sequence plant and animal growth to order using first, next, then, last.

Each pack of sequencing activities includes sequencing cards and worksheets to help teach kids the order of events in plant and animal growth; a skill that is needed for many concepts, activities and learning areas including literacy, numbers, time and procedures.

The definition of sequencing is the ability to understand how a series of events occur in order and these life cycle activities will help students develop a sound understanding of sequencing. 

In the Early years learning time and sequencing includes many concepts including:

• First and Last
• First, next, then, finally
• Before, After
• day, night, daytime, morning time, lunchtime, dinner time, bedtime, nighttime 
• to make judgements about how long everyday events take and then compare 2 events to decide which takes longer/shorter amount of time (not using a clock)
• Comparing & Ordering the steps involved in 3, 4, 5, 6 step activities
• Link daily activities to day and night
• Sequence different but obvious ages of people, e.g. baby, toddler, child, teenager, parent, grandparent
• Order the sequence of simple well know stories and nursery rhymes, e.g. fairytales
• Answer the questions:
  • “What happened?”
  • “What happens first?”
  • “What happens next?”
  • “What happens last?”
  • What happened before ____?”
  • “What happened after ___?”

Related Post: Teaching Sequencing in Primary Schools

Life Cycle Sequencing Teaching Resources

Download these sequencing activities to help your students become confident and fluent with sequencing and describing the stages of life cycles of a range of different living things such as insects, birds, frogs and flowering plants. 

Each set contains 9 Activities:

Print Only PDF – Dual Spelling – colour & color – 22 pages each version –

1. A4 Full Colour Sequencing Activity – First, Next, Last Ordering – Students order the sequencing images in the correct order
2. A4 Full Colour What Happens Before __? What Happens After ___? Colour Sequencing Centre Activity – Students look at the image and decide which image shows what happened before and after
3. A4 Full Colour 1,2,3 Sequencing Activity – Cut & order the sequencing cards
4. A4 Full Colour Wrong Order Activity – Students check or cross the image that’s in the wrong place. They use the sequencing cards to show the correct order
5. A4 Full Colour Posters
6. A4 B&W Worksheet – Colour & Order A Sequence – Students match the number to the image to show the correct order
7. A4 B&W Worksheet – First, Next, Last Ordering – Students colour, cut, order & stick the sequencing images into the correct order
8. A4 B&W Sequencing Book – A 1 page foldable for students to colour. Students find a blank image for them to colour to match the sequence. The page can be folded into a neat book for students to take home
9. A4 B&W Wrong Order Activity – Students check or cross the image that’s in the wrong place. They use the sequencing cards to show the correct order