Seed Lab

Kids see plants everywhere from the playground to the garden, but do they know about the lifecycle of a plant? Learning about plants always fascinates the kids and starting seeds is an amazing hands-on interactive project where you can watch every part of the cycle. From there you can have everyone build plant models to show what they know! Let’s take a look at the amazing process of the plant life cycles and discover how you can start your own plant adventure right from your home or classroom.

A Project that will really “GROW” on you!

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First the Plant Science Stuff!

What is the Life Cycle of a Plant?

The same way that people and animals have a life cycle, so do plants! The cycle follows the plant from a seed through growth and development stages to fully mature plant.

The Stages of Plant Cycle

Seed Stage

Seeds all vary in size but each one represents the potential to grow into a new plant.

Germination

When you add water whether directly or through condensation, warmth from the sun or a grow light, and oxygen to a seed it will start to sprout. This process is called germination. This is a fun step for the kids to watch. You can see the seed split open and then each day you’ll see a little more of the sprout sticking out. Soon, a tiny root will pop out of the seed and start to grow, anchoring the plant in the soil.

Seedling Stage

As the root grows, a shoot pushes through the soil toward the sunlight. This shoot becomes the stem, and the first leaves appear. When those leaves show up your plant is called a seedling.

Mature Plant

The seedling will absorb light from the sun, and nutrients from the soil. Water will come from the weather or a watering can to let the plant drink up and stay hydrated. The seedling will continue to grow into a mature plant.

Reproduction

Plants will often produce flowers which in turn produce seeds, completing the life cycle. Many plants rely on wind, animals, or even water to carry their seeds to new places where they can grow into new plants and start the cycle again. This is called pollination and we have a great lesson with a printable on pollinators you can add to this lesson.

Lifecycle Printable

We have a great printable you can use to accompany this project. It is a Lifecycle Code Breakers activity that explores the lifecycles of: Tomatoes, Apples, Pumpkins and Sunflowers, plus a variety of insects and animals.

Seed Lab for Kids

Now for the hands on fun! Let’s grow a plant from a seed – our own little seed lab.

Supplies

Seeds
Paper Towels
Zip Top Plastic Bags
Clamshell Containers from salad or vegetables (recycle!)
Soil
Water

Directions

I want to share a couple of different ways you can watch start seeds and watch the seed cycle. Both work really well; it just depends on your space and situation. Also, when choosing your seeds – you can use any seeds you want, for a classroom or unit I would choose one with a relatively quick germination stage so you keep the kids’ interest strong. I chose radish seeds because they germinate in about 3-5 days in the right conditions. Your local greenhouse will have some great recommendations for you.

Growing Seeds in a Bag

Step 1: Lightly wet your paper towel, wring it out so it is just slightly damp. Fold it into a square that will slide easily into the bag.

Step 2: Sprinkle a few seeds onto the towel and gently press them into place. Have the kids observe what the seed looks like at this stage.

Step 3: Write the type of seeds on the bag. Carefully slip the towel into the baggy and seal it up.

Step 4: Hang or lay the bag in a sunny spot. A window works perfectly!

Step 5: Watch and wait. I always think it’s fun to do daily observations. Either have the kids draw or write about what they see each day. Also have the kids observe what happens inside the bag with the water. The warmth will cause evaporation and condensation. Yes, this is a mini water cycle!

Extension Activity – Explore the Water Cycle!

Here are some pictures of our seeds germinating in the bag.

Growing Seeds in a Recycled Clamshell

Step 1: Grab any flip top, clear plastic container from the recycling. I like the ones that the different mixed greens and spinach come in – but even little berry containers will work. Fill the container with potting soil.

Step 2: Place your seeds on the soil spacing them apart as directed on the packaging. Gently press them into the soil, not necessarily as deep as you would for true planting like in a garden because you want to be sure the kids can see the process.

Step 3: Water the soil well and snap it shut.

Step 4: Watch and wait. The same water cycle effect will occur in the clamshell. The kids will be able to clearly observe the water droplets form on the top of the container and drip back onto the soil to water the plants. Depending on the condensation you may need to pop the container’s tops to see the seeds do their thing! It’s so much fun for the kids to watch the plant growing.

Here are some pictures of our process.

Parts of a Seed

When you’re watching the seeds start to pop it’s a great time to discuss the parts of a seed. For simplicity you can talk about the three basic parts of a seed:

The Seed Coat: The outer layer of the seed

The Stored Food: The inner part of a seed

The Embryo: The baby plant ready to break through the seed coat to sprout.

Extension Activity Ideas

As an extension activity, have the students make a seed model or stages of a plant model. You can check out our Butterfly Lifecycle or Ladybug Lifecycle models for inspiration. Have your students use something as simple as crayons, markers, pipe cleaners, felt, or play dough – let them use their imagination and see what they come up with. Here is what we came up with.

Another great activity would be to make a Plant Cell Model and learn about the cells of the plants kids are growing in this lab. If possible, make some slides and examine the cells under a microscope for even more hands on discovery and learning.

Don’t forget to also explore the water cycle and learn how the small water cycle growing your seeds, is just like Earth’s Water Cycle!

Finally, feed that new found passion for nature, science and seeds by making Seed Paper or Seed Bombs.

Let your curiosity bloom and enjoy exploring the magic of plant life cycles!