The paper describes how preschool children's cognitive development is affected by the study of their surroundings and environment. A group of preschool children from the Child's Center of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, were provided with opportunities to examine the transformation of wool into cloth and clothing. These included: (1) a puppet show to expose the children to the composition of jumpers and other clothing; (2) a discussion of the qualities of home-made and purchased jumpers; (3) a visit to a clothing factory that made woolen jumpers; (4) a demonstration of the process whereby raw wool is turned into thread; (5) a visit to a museum to see how wool was turned into thread and cloth in the past; and (6) a visit to a farm to see sheep. At each stage the children were questioned about their attitudes and experiences. The children participated in art and music activities related to the production of wool, cloth, and clothing, and gained an understanding of the historical role of thread and cloth-making in Greece. The activities contributed to the children's cognitive and vocabulary development, as well as to their ability to think scientifically. Contains six references. (MDM)