We got this great book about the life cycle of plants.  The book included an experiment growing seeds that we decided to try.  Anything that is an experiment, the kids get excited about.  So, off we went to plant some beans.

Step1: Poke holes in the bottom 12 eggshells, or any other little containers, and fill with potting soil.  Label the containers 1-12 so you can keep track of them.  Plant 1 bean in each small container and cover with more soil.  Water the seeds.  Put your containers in a warm, sunny place.

Step 2:  Wait 3-4 days, then dig up seed number one.  Look at the seed and decide what you think it is doing.  Did it already sprout?  Is it a big, fat bean?  Is it a little dry and maybe it needs more water?

Every day or so, dig up another seed and go through the same process.  Are there leaves growing?  Is it so huge that we need to put it in another pot?

This is what the little girl did.  She got very attached to seed #2 and would not dig it up.  She went through all the other seeds along the way, but not seed #2.  She repotted it and made sure we kept it watered.  It has gone so far as to have it’s own place in the garden.

The little boy had other plans.  Dig up the first bean and carefully inspect it.  Then break it up into little pieces.  Then, pull all of the seeds out of their pots all at once.  Then get trucks and play in the dirt.  That is fine.  He watched his sister’s plants as she dug them up and still got to watch them grow.

This awesome book explains all about seedlings, including the experiment:

How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Johnson