In late autumn and winter the days are so short that it is hard for most children of school age to be outdoors planting or doing other nature-themed activities after school on week days. However, don't despair as there are plenty of fun activities that children can do indoors that can help them understand how plants grow.
Observing sprouting seeds in see-through bags is a great activity that connects children both with the concept of where food comes from and how plants grow from seeds.
We started by picking seeds out of everyday fruits and vegetables such as apples, kiwis, tomatoes, peppers and we also rehydrated some dried beans. The seeds (with the exception of the bean) were left to dry for a few days before starting the activity.
To do this activity, apart from the seeds, you'll need a sandwich bag, some wet kitchen roll folded to the size of the bag and a stapler (this is optional).
1) Place the kitchen roll inside the sandwich bag and make sure the paper is nicely flat.
2) If you have a stapler, staple through the bag and paper to create a horizontal line about 2/3 of the way from the bottom of the bag. This will just help keep the seeds from dropping to the bottom of the bag and make the growing roots easier to see.
3) Place a seed inside the bag on top of each staple and make sure you can see it through the clear plastic. If you think you might forget what each seed is, I would recommend labeling each column with the name of the seed.
4) Once you have added all the seeds, you can close the bag and tape it to a sunny warm window (I have used one that is directly under a radiator).
5) Check everyday for any signs of growth, some seeds will sprout before others and the bag will probably develop some mould but it is great to witness how quickly seeds can sprout and observe what normally takes place underground.
If you wanted, once you have seen them sprout in the bag you can remove them from it and plant them in a regular pot to see it grow further.
