Gardening with kids doesn’t have to be complicated! From seed to sprout, this indoor activity/experiment is easy to set up with supplies you may already have – and with a sunny spot in your home! It’s a fun and interactive way to explore where plants come from and how they need to be nurtured. Plus, little gardeners learn a sense of responsibility and accomplishment as they care for plants and watch them grow.
Read more on how gardening together offers incredible developmental benefits for kids!
What They’ll Learn
Nature
Plants
What You'll Need
- Clear plastic cups (can be washed and reused)
- Construction paper
- Paper towels
- Dried beans or large seeds (Avoid using any seeds or beans that are broken or split. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds or soup beans work great!)
- Water
How to Create
- Cut pieces of construction paper into rectangular strips to line the inside of the entire cup.
- Place a few pieces of balled-up paper towels inside the construction paper liner until the cup is full.
- Position the seeds between the side of the cup and the construction paper liner.
- Gently water the paper towels until saturated.
- Put the cups on a sunny shelf or windowsill.
- Watch them grow! The root should start to grow in two to three days.
- Water as necessary to keep the paper towel and seeds continually moist. Cold temperatures can impact seed growth, so a good rule of (a green) thumb is if you are comfortable, your seeds will most likely be too!
Parent Tips
- After watering your seeds, ask your child: How long do you think it will take to sprout? How big do you think it will get? Help them write or draw their answers, and compare your guesses to the outcome.
- When the roots start to grow, ask your child: How do you think roots might help a plant to grow? What do you think will happen next?
- After the roots, stem, and leaves emerge, ask your child: What shapes are the leaves? How do you think leaves might help a plant to grow?
- Start a science journal! Help your child draw pictures of the plant each day as it starts to grow to keep track of its progress.
Extend the Learning
- Set up a discovery station. Fill a bin with dry beans and seeds for kids to explore on their own. Add measuring cups, spoons, and other containers to allow them to measure and sort them. Encourage them to compare textures, colors, sizes, and shapes.
- Make seed art. Allow students to make mosaics using seeds and beans, glue, and paper.
- Tie it into a book! Some great options are Pumpkin Circle by George Levenson, Sunflower House by Eve Bunting, A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Aston, and any version of Jack and the Beanstalk.
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New content added weekly
Accessible on multiple devices
Downloadable books & games for offline play