Seed germination
Kids in the garden

Keep the paper moist, and the seeds will crack open. Roots will grow downward and leaves will grow up. When the shoots reach the top of the cup, put the cup in bright light.

This easy project is wonderful to show young children how amazing it is to watch the growth of a seed. All green plants grow long stems, lots of leaves and meandering roots. But where do they come from? How do new plants start growing?

You will need: a tall, clear plastic cup, paper towels, dark construction paper, a flower pot, watering can, and seeds-corn, beans, peas, grapefruit, or sunflower seeds. Line each cup with dark-colored construction paper. Then fill the cup with paper towels to hold the construction paper against the side of the cup.

Now add seeds by pushing each seed between the cup and construction paper, about 2" from the bottom of the cup. Put different seeds about an inch apart around the cup if you want to see how each type of seed grows. Moisten the construction paper and towels inside the cup. Add enough water so some moisture forms in the bottom of the cup. Re-moisten the towels and paper whenever they start to dry.

Most seeds germinate in the dark. Give your seeds dark conditions by forming a ring of dark construction paper around the outside of the cup. Keep it there except when checking the seeds every day.

Germination usually begins in three to four days, and when the shell cracks roots will start downward and leaves will push up to the surface of the cup. Place the cup in bright light as soon as the shoots reach the top of the container. As shoots of all the seedlings reach the top of the cup, they turn from yellow to green.

When shoots grow a few inches above the top of the cup and roots begin to fill the bottom of the cup, carefully remove the towels and construction paper, plant the seedlings in a pot of soil. Water each time the soil dries. When you think the plants are strong enough, plant them in a flower bed that can be watched and watered often.