Seed, Leaf, Grow
Recommended Ages 4-8 yrs.
All plants come from seeds, including trees. Watch and interact with the introduction video to see how seeds grow and the various seeds you can find near your home.
Then try the investigative and project prompts below before diving into any of the additional activities.
Seeds need three things in order to grow:
- Sunlight
- Soil (with nutrients)
- Water
Investigative Prompt
On your next outing to a safe nature space, try to find some different seeds.
Did you find any of these type of seeds?
- A seed that can blow in the wind, like a dandelion?
- A seed that was moved by an animal, like a sticker or fruit seed?
- A seed that floats on water?
- A plant that has a seed pod that you think might explode?
Kitchen Comparison
Ask a parent’s permission to investigate the kitchen. Are there any seeds or foods made with seeds in your kitchen? See if a family member can help you read ingredients to find hidden sources of seeds.
Do you have any of these foods that are seeds or are made from seeds?
- Coconut oil
- Beans (pinto, green, or any other kind)
- Corn
- Food with sunflower oil
- Food with peanut oil
- Fruit or vegetables
- Flour (which is typically made from wheat seeds)
- Coffee (from coffee beans)
- Oatmeal or whole grain cereal
Downloadable Worksheets
Project Prompt
Option 1: Nature Art
On your next few outings, find fallen leaves and seeds of different colors. When you have a good collection, try to make a piece of art using only the leaves and seeds in your collection. It can be simple, it can be big-your imagination is the limit!
Option 2: Try To Grow A Seed
Seeds need soil or nutrients, water, and sunlight in order to grow. But because each seed it different, they might need a different mix of these three things!
Try an experiment to find the best way to grow a seed in different nutrients and lighting, or find the which is the best seed to grow in the same method. You can put a few beans or seeds in cups with different kind of soil, or different types of liquid instead of water. Or you can try out many different types of beans and seeds in the same kind of soil to which grows better.
Get creative and brainstorm! Would a bean prefer soggy soil or milk instead of water? Would a grass see prefer sand or juice? Perhaps you find a seed that prefers tea!
Once your seed sprouts, take a daily photo or sketch of your
plant to see the progress.
