Early spring is the perfect time to germinate seeds. This activity helps children find joy in watching plants take root and grow! They are also able to see the major parts of the plant—the seeds, roots and stems—up close and personal.
Supplies:
Dried raw seeds: (dry beans, squash, corn etc.)
Paper Towel
Water
Plastic Baggie
Soil and pot, or outdoor space to grow plants
Step 1: Investigate your seeds
Take some time to observe raw seeds first.
Step 2: Germinate your seeds!
Announce to your child, “our seeds need some water to start to grow, so that’s what we are going to do!”
Place seeds in a piece of paper towel and fold paper towel over to cover seeds completely.
Soak paper towel with seeds inside with clean water.
Place wet paper towel and seeds in a plastic baggie. Close baggie and allow to sit in a well-lit spot in your home.
Step 3: Observe seeds as they sprout
Start to look at seeds over the next week or more. Make observations with your child each time you open the bag.
Day 1: Have kids look at seeds that have soaked in water for a day. These seeds have been soaking in water for a day – how are they different? They’re a lot bigger and softer than before. They have absorbed water and are now getting ready to germinate.
Day 2-7 : Check on your seeds. As you observe changes, talk about them with your child. You can have them draw pictures of what they observe, too! At some point, big changes will start to happen! A small root will emerge from your seed—this is called a radicle.
Step 4: Plant your seed
Once the seed has sprouted a radicle, or small root, it is ready to go in the ground! Plant it just under the surface of the soil in a pot, or in nice rich soil outdoors in a place where it will have plenty of room to grow. Do a bit of research to find out how much room you will need for different kinds of plants—some need quite a bit of space to grow!
