germination experiment water

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

• FREE Experiments
• Kitchen Science
• Climate Change
• Egg Experiments
• Fairy Tale Science
• Edible Science
• Human Health
• Inspirational Women
• Forces and Motion
• Science Fair Projects
• STEM Challenges
• Science Sparks Books
• Contact Science Sparks
• Science Resources for Home and School

Bean in a jar

April 30, 2012 By Emma Vanstone 13 Comments

This germination investigation is very simple but fascinating. Did you know you can grow a bean in a jar with just a little water? Germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed.

What is germination?

Three factors are important for germination .

Water – seeds need water for germination to occur. When a seed absorbs water, it starts to swell up, the outer coat of the seed cracks and roots start to grow through.

Oxygen – oxygen is needed for a plant to grow (oxygen is needed for respiration to occur ). Seeds buried too deeply in the soil won’t grow.

Temperature – the temperature can be important ( warm or cold ) depending on the type of seed.

Once a seedling has used all the nutrients from the seed, it then needs to take nutrients from the soil. Once your seed has germinated and grown a little bit, you’ll need to transfer it into a pot of soil.

Light is not needed for germination but is needed for a plant to grow.

Roots grow downwards to anchor the plant in the ground and find nutrients, and shoots grow upwards to find light.

How to grow a bean in a jar

What you need.

• A broad bean seed
• Kitchen roll or a napkin

Instructions

• Swirl a small amount of water around the jar.
• Fold your napkin or kitchen roll and place it in the jar ( we made the kitchen roll very slightly damp also ).
• Place the bean seed in the jar resting on the napkin.
• Spray some water on the bean every few days.

The bean should start to grow roots after a few days. This is called germination.

We kept one bean in the dark and one in the light. Both seeds germinated and grew into small bean plants. This shows that light is not necessary for germination .

You can see here that the plant grown in the dark is slightly less green than the one grown in the light. We have seen this before when growing cress .

What amazes me the most is that all this can grow from one tiny seed with no additional nutrients other than those contained in the bean itself.

After a few days in the light, the bean plant kept in the dark was as luscious a green colour as its counterpart.

Bean in a jar instructions

Download the instructions completely free.

More plant science

Little ones will enjoy growing a bean for Jack and the Beanstalk.

Inspiration Laboratories has a lovely plant science experiment growing seeds in different soil types , such as sand and stones.

Playdough to Plato has a gorgeous sprout house !

Another idea is to dissect a plant or try one of our other fun plant science experiments for kids .

Suitable for:

Key Stage 1 Science – Plants

Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.

Last Updated on March 29, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

April 30, 2012 at 8:52 am

You keep coming up with really inspiring ideas. Thankyou!

May 04, 2012 at 7:39 pm

So glad you like them!

April 30, 2012 at 12:53 pm

I love this idea. It is so much better than the ziploc bag on the window. (Maybe it is just me, but those always get so nasty. Plus it would be great to have where the students could see actually grow and record the height. Love it.

May 04, 2012 at 7:41 pm

oooh yes, what a good idea!

May 02, 2012 at 10:17 pm

It is fascinating and beautiful! We have to try this!

It was great! and so simple x

May 06, 2012 at 8:29 pm

We love this activity. Ours is growing strong and we’re going to try transferring into the soil and growing further now

Thank you for linking to Tuesday Tots this week

May 07, 2012 at 2:26 pm

love this idea.. will find some jars x

May 11, 2012 at 3:01 am

How fun!! I love the lessons where they get to see the roots that would be underground. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday! I hope you are having a great week!

March 08, 2013 at 6:55 pm

Ooh great way to use my jars! Now to get some beans x

March 08, 2013 at 8:28 pm

We grew a bean in a glass Mason jar for each kid a couple months ago. Can you believe they ate still thriving? One even grew a bean pod with beans in it. I should transfer them to a pot with soil.

April 10, 2013 at 6:14 pm

I would like to know just why this works. Why is the one kept in the dark white? I know it has something to do with light. And why did it grow faster that the one in the light? Thank you!

April 23, 2020 at 10:28 am

Hi there, can you use any seed for this?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• TOP CATEGORIES
• AS and A Level
• University Degree
• International Baccalaureate
• Uncategorised
• 5 Star Essays
• Study Tools
• Study Guides
• Meet the Team
• Living Things in their Environment

Investigating Seed Germination. Hypothesis If there is water, oxygen and a suitable temperature in the surroundings, then the seed will germinate.

SSIS MYP Programme

Science Investigation Report

Investigating Seed Germination

Name: Kimberly Hoong Yearn Yi

Class: S4 Ruby

To investigate how the following conditions: presence of water, presence of oxygen, and the temperature would affect the germination of a seed.

If there is water, oxygen and a suitable temperature in the surroundings, then the seed will germinate.

A seed is an embryonic plant in a resting condition after the development of the embryo in the ovule of the plant stops. Water is then lost and the seed enters a state of dormancy, where its metabolic activities are suspended until germination takes place. In order for germination to occur, water, oxygen and a suitable temperature must be present.

Water must be present, because it is what sets off the metabolic activity inside the seed. Water is taken up by a process called imbibition and is needed for the metabolism of the seed as well as for breaking the seed coat by making  the seed swell. With water and all other conditions (oxygen, suitable temperature) present, germination commences with the uptake of water by imbibition of the dry seed, followed by embryo expansion. The water absorbed dissolves a chemical made inside the embryo. Hydrolytic enzymes are then activated, breaking down the stored nutrients into nourishments for the embryo.

Oxygen is another important condition for germination. Before the seed can photosynthesize through its leaves, the seed has to undergo respiration in order to provide energy for germination. The seed needs oxygen so that it can respire aerobically to convert its energy stores into energy that it can use for growing. Water serves as a medium for transport of soluble food molecules, but without oxygen, there will be no transport of nutrients at all. With oxygen, the seed will be able to use the starch and oxygen to produce energy (glucose) until it produces green leaves for photosynthesis.

The suitable temperature varies for different type of seeds. The temperature range for seeds to germinate can range from 5°C to 30°C. In this case, the green bean seed that is being planted would be germinating at room temperature (15°C to 25°C). The suitable temperature is important for germination because it would affect cellular metabolic and growth rates. If the temperature is not suitable, the seed will not break dormancy. This is partly due to the hydrolytic enzymes in the seed embryo. One particular characteristic of enzymes is that at low temperature, the enzyme activity would be almost none if not zero. There is a range of temperature which enzymes work best in. Therefore, the range of temperature required for the hydrolytic enzymes in the seeds to perform most efficiently for the germination of the seed is important.

Independent Variable:

→  Conditions of surroundings – The conditions of the surroundings for the seed germination will be altered through changing the different conditions needed for germination: water, oxygen and temperature. There will be four different set ups. The four set ups would have the conditions:

Set up 1) – Normal amount of water; normal amount of oxygen; room temperature

Set up 2) – Normal amount of water; normal amount of oxygen; 4°C (stored in the fridge)

Set up 3) – Normal about of water; no oxygen; room temperature

Set up 4) – Almost no water (2 cm 3  per day); normal amount of oxygen; room temperature

Set up No. 1 is the set up with all conditions present for germination. The next three are set ups with one condition missing. When any of the conditions are not present, germination is not expected.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Dependent Variable:

→  Length of seedlings – The rate of germination, in this case the length of the seedlings, will depend on the conditions present for each of the set up. As the conditions for each set up varies, the rate of germination or length of seedling will increase, decrease or stay the same. The length of each seedling will be measured using a vernier caliper, with units in cm.

Controlled Variables:

→  Volume of Water – The volume of water poured per day onto the seeds each day should remain the same, as if the volume changes, the volume of water imbibed by the seed would change, causing the rate of germination to be affected. This in turns affect the length of the seedling. All set ups except Set up 4 should receive the same amount of water per day, which will be maintained at 10cm 3 . Set up 4 shall receive 2cm 3  of water per day. The volume of water will be measured using a 25cm 3 syringe.

→  Temperature of surroundings – The temperature of the surroundings must remain the same, as if the temperature changes, the activity of hydrolytic enzymes in the seed embryo will be affected, as enzymes are temperature-sensitive. This will then affect the rate of germination in the seed, which will in turn affect the length of the seedling. All set ups except Set up 2 will be placed in a place with room temperature, with the room temperature ranging from 22°C to 25°C. Set up 2 will be placed in the refrigerator where the temperature will be maintained at 4°C.

→  Amount of oxygen – The amount of oxygen available for germination must remain the same or else the metabolism rate of the seed embryo will be affected, which will in turn affect the rate of germination. This would then lead to the lengths of the seedlings being invalid as more than one condition is not present. All set ups will receive the same amount of oxygen available in the room, except set up 3. Set up 3 will be covered with a layer of oil where oxygen will not get through to the seed.

→  Overall time taken for germination – The amount of time given for each seed to germinate must remain the same, as if the time given for the seeds to germinate varied, some seeds would be able to have more time to grow than the others, which in turns affect the length of the seedlings. The time given for each seed in all the set ups to germinate will be maintained at 1 week.

Apparatus List

Apparatus Setup Diagram

Altogether, there will be four different set ups as mentioned above.

Set Up (1) – Normal Conditions

This set up will have all the conditions needed for the germination of the seed. Like the other set ups, it will have 3 green bean seeds on top of 4 cotton pads. It will receive 10cm 3 of water for 7 days, and be placed in an area at room temperature with oxygen. This is so that the seed can germinate as all conditions are present.

Set Up (2) – Unsuitable Temperature

This set up will have all the conditions needed for the germination of the seed except a suitable temperature. Like the other set ups, it will have 3 green bean seeds on top of 4 cotton pads. It will receive 10cm 3 of water each day for 7 days, and be placed in the refrigerator with a temperature of 4°C, with oxygen. As the condition for a suitable temperature is not present, the hydrolytic enzymes in the seed would not be able to work as well as when in an optimum temperature; the seed will not be able to germinate.

Set Up (3) – No Oxygen

This set up will have all the conditions needed for the germination of the seed except for a supply of oxygen. Like the other set ups, it will have 3 green bean seeds on top of 4 cotton pads. It will receive 10cm 3 of water each day for 7 days, and be placed in an area at room temperature. However, the seeds will be covered in a layer of oil, which will deprive the seeds of the oxygen in the air, hence drowning the green bean seeds. As oxygen is not present, the embryo will be not able to respire in order to provide energy for germination. Without energy, the seed will not be able to germinate.

Set Up (4) – No Water

This set up will have all the conditions needed for the germination of the seed except for a supply of water. Like the other set ups, it will have 3 green bean seeds on top of 4 cotton pads. It will be placed in an area at room temperature with oxygen. However, the seeds will only receive 2cm 3  of water each day for 7 days, which will not be sufficient enough for the seeds to germinate. As the supply of water is not sufficient, imbibition will not occur and the metabolism of the seed will remain dormant. Without the metabolic activity of the seed, it will not germinate.

• Lay out all apparatus, clean all of them thoroughly.
• Set up the Petri dishes with 4 cotton pads in each Petri dish. Put three green bean seeds in each Petri dish. Make sure the seeds are of equal distance away from one another.
• Label the set ups 1, 2, 3 and 4. Set up 1) will be the seeds with normal conditions, 2) will be the set up with no suitable temperature, 3) will be the set up with no oxygen and 4) will be the set up with no water.
• Using a 25cm 3  syringe, pour 10cm 3  of water into Set up 1). Try to make sure each seed gets approximately the same amount of water.
• Repeat step 4 for Set ups 2) and 3).
• Using a 25cm 3  syringe, pour 2cm 3 of water into Set up 4). Try to make sure each seed gets approximately the same amount of water.
• Using a 50cm 3 measuring cylinder, pour 50cm 3 of oil into set up 3). The layer of oil should submerge the seeds completely so that there will be no oxygen.
• Place Set up 2) into the refrigerator, which will have a temperature of 4°C. This is so that the seed will be deprived of a suitable temperature.
• Place Set ups 1), 3) and 4) near a window.
• For the next 6 days, using the 25cm 3 syringe, pour 10cm 3 of water into Set ups 1), 2) and 3). For Set up 4), using the 25cm 3 syringe, pour 2cm 3 of water.
• At the end of the week, making sure there are no zero errors, measure the length of the germinated seedlings using vernier calipers.
• Tabulate the results.

The table shows the length of seedlings in cm in each of the different set ups after one week.

Analysis of Results

After conducting the experiment, it is found that when all three conditions, presence of water, presence of oxygen and a suitable temperature were present, the seed was able to germinate. However, without any one of these conditions, the seed was unable to germinate, as can be seen from the table of results. Set up (2) was placed in an area with very low temperatures, and was not able to germinate. This meant that without a suitable temperature, the seed would not be able to germinate. Set up (3) was covered with a layer of oil, preventing the seeds from taking in any oxygen from the air, and was unable to germinate as well. This meant that without oxygen, the seed would not be able to germinate. Set up (4) was deprived of a sufficient supply of water, and the seeds were also not able to germinate. Therefore, it can be seen that if any one of these conditions are not present, the seed cannot germinate, and that all conditions must be present for germination to occur.

The results from the experiment showed that only when there was the presence of water, presence of oxygen and a suitable temperature, would the seed germinate. Therefore, I can say that my hypothesis is supported and correct.

This is because:

The seed needs water to undergo imbibition, which would then allow the water to set off the metabolic activity in the seed. The water also dissolves crucial chemicals inside the seed embryo which activates the hydrolytic enzymes. With the hydrolytic enzymes activated, nutrients are then supplied to the seed embryo. Therefore, without water, the seed will not be able to germinate as the embryo will have no nutrients.

The seed also needs oxygen to germinate, as a seed that has yet undergone germination does not have leaves. Leaves contain chlorophyll, which is vital for photosynthesis. The absence of leaves means the absence of chlorophyll, which means that the seed cannot make food to supply energy for itself before it grows leaves. Therefore, oxygen allows the seed to undergo aerobic respiration, providing energy for germination.

Lastly, the seed will also need a suitable temperature before it can germinate. As there are hydrolytic enzymes in the seed that needs to be activated before nutrients can be supplied to the seed, the enzymes will need a suitable temperature to perform its best in. If the temperature is too low or too high, the enzyme activity will be too low or close to none, or the enzyme structure will be denatured, hence not able to even function at all.

Therefore, it is only under all conditions that the seed can germinate.

Reliability

I can say that my experiment is reliable because I relied on three seeds instead of just trying to germinate one seed. This enables my results to be more accurate. There were no problems during the experiment and the lengths of the seedlings were similar to each other. The apparatus used were all reliable and in good condition. The method was as precise as possible, taking note of all the details, especially the apparatus set up diagram, where everything was listed and drawn out. For example, I tried to make sure the amount of water given to each seed was approximately the same so that each seed would receive the same amount of water. In Set up (3), I also made sure that the seeds were fully submerged in the layer of oil so that absolutely no oxygen in the air would be available to the seeds. The method described and explained every step, and provided the results needed. The results analysis were described and explained with as much details as possible, and there were no miscalculation and major errors during the experiment.

The experiment was valid, as the apparatus used measured everything needed, for example, I used a 25cm 3 syringe to measure 2cm 3 and 10cm 3 of water for the seeds. I also used a 50cm 3 measuring cylinder to measure 50cm 3  of oil to pour onto the seeds. In addition, a vernier caliper was used to measure the length of the seedlings, which is used to measure lengths and thicknesses up to 0.01cm. It was also checked for any zero errors before it was used. The refrigerator in which Set up (2) was placed in was thermostatically controlled, so the temperature was constant throughout, and there was no need for a use of a thermometer. The method was valid as the dependent and independent variable were measured and results were obtained. The hypothesis was valid as the outcome of the experiment supported it.

Limitations and Improvements

If I could do the experiment again,

→  One or two more seeds could be used so that I could get a better reading on the trends. In addition, I only took the final results, which is the final length of the seedlings. I could have observed the growth of all the seeds closely so that I would be able to further explain and analyze my results.

→  Over the weekend, the seeds were not tended to, so during those two days there was a lack of water for the seeds. I could have brought the set up home with me so that I could tend to them with full attention instead of leaving them in school.

→  During the night and day, the room temperature can vary by 4-5°C. In order to keep the temperature constant in the future, I could put it in a thermostatically controlled room or container. This would ensure that the temperature will remain constant throughout, hence not affecting the seeds’ germination.

 | Page

Document Details

• Word Count 2808
• Page Count 9
• Subject Science

Related Essays

Literature review on germination of orchid seeds., in this experiment, mung bean seedlings and brine shrimp eggs were used to..., i will be working in a freshwater environment measuring certain variables i..., cellular respiration.

How Wee Learn

Out of the box learning ideas, playful art, exploring nature, and simple living - that is How We Learn!

Seed Germination Experiment – The Results!

May 27, 2024 by Sarah

Have you ever used the mason jar method for a seed germination experiment?! It is so neat to watch a seed sprout and grow, and to see the root structure take shape. It also makes for an awesome seed germination experiment, comparing roots and sprouts and how quickly each grows!

In this blog post, I’ll share with you exactly how we set up our seed germination experiment, a Free Printable Seed Growth Tracker, AND the results with the best seeds to germinate with kids!

Seeds and Plants Family Unit Study

This seed germination experiment is one of the hands-on activities from my Seeds and Plants Family Unit Study .  

If you’re new here, let me explain. This unit study, like all of our ever-growing library of unit studies, takes one big topic—Seeds and Plants—and breaks it down into ten manageable, bite-sized learning topics. This format gives you the freedom to dive into learning at a pace that works for your family.

Each of the ten topics included with a unit study contains everything you need for that topic, including:

• a curated YouTube video,
• suggested information to read,
• a “what’s happening” section,
• an interesting fact,
• a discussion question,
• literacy and math extension questions,
• and an ultimate-can’t-be-beat hands-on activity!

Perhaps you do one topic per day, perhaps one per week. Whatever suits your fancy! You can learn about seeds and plants and explore one of the 10 topics from start to finish in about 1-2 hours.

Printable Seed Growth Tracker

Within the Seeds and Plants Family Unit Study, your little ones will observe and document how their seeds grow with this Printable Seed Growth Tracker . You can grab it for FREE right here:

Seed Germination Experiment: The Set-Up

For this experiment, we’re going to germinate our seeds using the ‘mason jar and paper towel’ method. With this method, kids can see the seed sprout and the root structure form, giving them the real-life learning they need to understand what’s happening beneath the soil!

For your seed germination experiment, you will need:

• a glass jar
• paper towels

Instructions

First, we pushed sheets of paper towels, one at a time, into the glass jar. Once it was full, we added some water to wet it (dumping out any excess). Wetting the paper towel made room for a few more pieces to be pushed into the jar and then wet again (and again, dumping out any excess water). We made sure the paper towel was rather packed so the seeds would stay nicely in place next to the glass.

Next, we picked four seeds to germinate: beans, snap peas, cucumber, and swiss chard. We pushed each seed down the side of the glass jar and supported them with the wet paper towel when pulling our fingers out.

We added all four of our seeds to one mason jar, but you could also set up separate mason jars for each of your different types of seeds.

Finally, I labeled each seed so we could make observations and comparisons.

Seed Germination Experiment: The Results!

One of the reasons I love doing seed germination with kids is how quickly the seeds start to grow. For this seed growth experiment, our seeds started to root on Day 2! By the next day, there were sprouts, too. And by Day 5, three of our four seeds were growing strong!

These are the seeds that we chose to germinate:

• Swiss Chard

So, how did our four seeds compare?

Here is a little run down of our results, though yours may, of course, be slightly different.

Day 1 – Despite checking a gazillion times, nothing happened.

Day 2 – Snap Pea rooted.

Day 3 – Snap Pea started to sprout, and Bean started to root.

Day 4 – Bean started to sprout, and Swiss Chard started to root (though it was tricky to see!).

Day 5 – Snap Pea , Bean , and Swiss Chard were all rooted and sprouting.

Day 6 – Bean overtook Snap Pea for the tallest and strongest plant.

Day 7 – All growing strong! (Except for the Cucumber …)

We had the best success with snap pea and bean seeds. Both grew fairly similarly, easily, and strongly. The roots to the snap pea were a bit easier to see, but the bean seed looks really neat as it sprouts!

So, What’s the Best Seed to Germinate with Kids?

So, if I were forced to choose between a bean or a snap pea seed to germinate with my little ones, I would choose—after a long and restless night’s sleep debating the choice— Snap Pea!

The root system on a snap pea is really fascinating—and that is why I do seed germination for kids in clear jars with paper towels : so they can see the root system.

Truthfully, we didn’t do too many activities while we were observing our seeds sprouting. It was mostly casual conversations. But conversations themselves can be one of the most powerful learning tools of all!

We made predictions and comparisons, developed new vocabulary, and—most importantly—marveled at how miraculous the whole process is.

This is one of the simplest ways to introduce little ones to seed germination. You can keep it simple, or turn it into quite an all-encompassing endeavor! Whatever floats your boat. Our boats are currently floated in a shallow stream… some days, a puddle…

More Seed Activities for Kids

If you’re looking for more seed activities, be sure to check out these 35 Seed Activities for Kids . And if you’re feeling crafty, I have tons of Seed Art Ideas for Kids as well.

And if you would like everything planned for you, I encourage you to check out my Seeds and Plants Family Unit Study!

https://shop.howweelearn.com/products/family-unit-study-seeds-and-plants

I hope you find these seed activities helpful for you and yours!

Thank you for reading, my friend,

"Mom, you're the BEST!"

Get playful activities emailed each week. Subscribing is FREE!

April 4, 2014 at 3:32 pm

The fail-safe ones are my favorite! lol! I love that this is just a casual experiment that still puts the roots (pun not intended) of science in their minds! 🙂

February 11, 2016 at 10:52 pm

Really helpful for my sons science project. I appreciate you sharing a lot! Thank you. We aren’t finished with ours however it’s a little more complicated. But wanted to say again appreciate your share! Great job!

February 15, 2019 at 4:44 pm

We always had the best success with nasturtium seeds.

February 19, 2019 at 9:12 pm

Oh interesting Theresa! I have never tried sprouting these seeds. I will have to give it a go!

March 5, 2021 at 2:00 pm

Hi, Did you just fill the jar up with wet paper towels? really wet? or misted wet? I’m trying to figure out how the seeds sit against the side of the jar. thanks

March 8, 2021 at 10:51 am

Hi Christina, Great question! The trick is to really fill the jar all the way with paper towels. Rip them off one by one and shove them in the jar. Then add lots of water to wet them down and continue to fill the jar again with the paper towel, wetting them down and repeating until the jar is totally full. Then dump out the excess water and press the seeds in. We then water the jar every two or so days and dump out the excess water. Hope this helps! I actually have a video coming out with more details next week. I will be sure to link it here!

April 11, 2022 at 9:15 pm

Where can we find the video? Love this idea!

April 17, 2022 at 8:28 pm

Thank you so much! You can check out the video in this blog post: https://www.howweelearn.com/two-spring-learning-crafts-we-love/

April 11, 2021 at 10:35 pm

Where did you get your seeds? Is it something I can just get at any store? Thank you. I nanny and always looking for learning amd fun things to do with her.

April 12, 2021 at 7:23 pm

Hi Faith! Yes, any store at all. The dollarstore carries seeds as well. I hope you have fun!

April 11, 2021 at 10:38 pm

Also, where in the jar did you put the seeds? On the sides? Do I put the different types of seeds in different jars?

April 12, 2021 at 7:28 pm

Yes! Once the paper towels are stuffed in the jar you can just slide the seeds in between the jar and the paper towels. You can put them in different jars, or pop them all in the same jar. Anything goes!

April 16, 2022 at 5:56 pm

Radish seeds sprout really fast as well. I’m a teacher and I use a plastic glove ( the large ones that cafeteria workers use) and instead of paper towels I use cotton balls. One cotton ball and one seed for each finger. Dip the cotton ball in water and wring out the water so that its damp and not dripping. Hope this helps anyone and thanks for the seed ideas!

April 17, 2022 at 8:23 pm

Great tips, Lindzi! Thank you!

February 6, 2022 at 10:46 pm

Hi Sarah, I have done this with many students. I had over 1200 students come to our conservation days and we showed them how to do this. With so many kids buying packaged seed was out of the question, so I just bought a bag of beans from the grocery store and started the process the night before by soaking them overnight. Then the bean seed germinated faster. Also corn seed can be used. Neither need to be soaked but it does speed up the process.

Just found your site. I was looking for fun easy experiments for my grandson who is 3 years old. I taught science for 35 years but, have been away from it and needed some inspiration, you know that oh yea, that would be a great one for him to do. Thank you.

February 9, 2022 at 7:56 pm

What a great tip, Brenda! Thank you so much.

For every step of your journey

Shop Resources

Privacy Overview

Free Sample

Stars & constellations family unit study.

Wondering if Unit Studies are right for you? Get a FREE sample! It will be delivered to your inbox instantly, then you will be redirected to my shop where you can take a peek at the rest of the available units and bundles.

Each week, I send an email to my lovely subscribers with fun activities for children. You’ll also be the first to know when I’m offering an incredible deal. Unsubscribe at any time!

Free Printable

Let's take the mystery out of learning to read..

Check your inbox! Your free printable will be emailed to you immediately.