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Growing Gardeners: Mighty Seed Activity

Here is a fun activity to help kids (and adults) see how seeds turn into plants!

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Updated:

January 22, 2025

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Figure 1. Jen Theodore on Unsplash. CC0

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Kids often think of seeds as "baby plants." This activity will help clear up the confusion around how a seed becomes a plant.

For this activity, you will need:

A few large seeds (Green bean, kidney bean, and pumpkin make great choices. Smaller seeds will work, but it may be harder to see the results.)

Paper towel
Plastic bag
Tape
A sunny window
Water
Cup or bowl (optional)

First, soak your seeds overnight in a cup or bowl of water (just enough water to cover the seeds). This will help "wake up" the seed. This step is optional but will help speed up the results.

Next, dampen a paper towel with water and lay it flat on a counter or table. Remove the seeds from the bowl and place them on the paper towel. Place 3–4 seeds on the paper towel. Using several will help ensure that you will see at least one sprout.

Figure 2. Bean seeds are an easy seed to germinate with kids. Helen Erdner, Penn State Master Gardener

Fold the paper towel over the seeds and gently slide the paper towel into the bag. Seal the bag and tape it to a sunny window. Make sure you seal the bag tightly so that no water can escape.

Wait and watch what happens! Depending on what seeds you choose, you should seed sprouts within a week. You may want to have your child keep a journal of what is happening with their seed. They can date each page, draw a picture, and maybe even write down some of their observations.

Figure 3. Seeds waiting to germinate. Helen Erdner, Penn State Master Gardener

So, what exactly is going on? Seeds have a coating on them called a seed coat. When the dry seed coat comes in contact with moisture, either in the soil or in the paper towel used in our activity, it begins to absorb water, and the seed begins to expand. Then, the seed coat cracks open.

Inside the seed is an embryo that is made up of a small root and a small shoot. The root emerges first in a process called germination. As the root emerges, it anchors the seed to the ground and begins to take in more water. As the root absorbs more and more water, the shoot will emerge.

With this experiment, your child will be able to see the root emerge from the soil first, and then the shoot follows. As the shoot begins to emerge, you can transfer your seeds to a soil medium, such as potting soil, and continue to watch your plant grow!