Planting seeds in small cups or pots is the most common horticulture activity in classrooms across the country. Although there is great value in providing students with the opportunity to watch a seed sprout, you can add to the excitement and make the experience more memorable by expanding the exploration. Here are a few ideas for turning a seed planting activity into an adventure:

Host a bean race. Plant bean seeds along the base of a trellis and label each plant with a different race number. Monitor their height daily. Record height and calculate the amount of new growth. Each day place an award ribbon by the plant that is the tallest overall and also by the one with the most growth from the previous day. If you do not have outdoor garden space available, you can grow them in pots along a windowsill by placing string from the pot to the top of the window.

Set up plant need experiments. Plants have 5 basic needs. They need water, light, nutrients, air, and a place to grow. To test these plant needs, try to grow plants in the absence of one of these factors. For instance, try to grow a plant without water or try to grow a plant in a closet without light. Use at least 2 plants for each experiment including one control (for instance grow one plant in the window and one plant in the closet but provide them with the same amount of water, air, nutrients and space). Only test one variable at a time to isolate the results.

Practice grocery store botany. Plant seeds harvested from common fruits and vegetables gathered from a grocery store. This experiment will help demonstrate the importance of the life cycle of plants for our food supply. Discuss the adaptations of fruits and seeds that help to ensure the survival of plants.

For more information ideas for growing seeds visit:

Seed Propagation
Seeds: The Promise of Life
Seeds Feed the World!
Digging Deeper with Seeds