Plant Experiments for Children
Looking for some fun things to do with the kids this Summer? Teach children how to have a green thumb with these four fun plant experiments!
By Kathy Sadowski, MS in Aromatherapy, Registered Aromatherapist, LMT
Colorful Carnations
Items Needed
- White stem carnations
- Food coloring
- Cup
- Water
Instructions: Fill the cup with water. Add a few drops of food coloring. Place the carnations in the cup. After a few days or so, the white flowers will begin to change color. Explain to the children how plants drink from their roots, and it goes up the stem, to nourish the flower.
You are What You Eat (or Drink)
Items Needed
- Three identical plants
- Three different types of liquid: water, koolaid, vinegar, soda, etc…
Instructions: Place the three plants in a sunny area where they can grow. Label what type of liquid you are going to feed each plant. Nourish them with equal amounts of their uniquely labeled liquid and see how they grow over the next month. Observe the leaves, look for any possible new growth, and assess if the plant is thriving or dwindling.
Watch a Seed Grow into a Plant
Items Needed
- Seeds: sunflower, lima, pinto, and pumpkin grow easily
- Pots
- Good Dirt
- Water
- Light
Instructions: Put soil in the pot. Place the seeds on top of the soil, and then add about an inch of soil on top of the seed. Plant about a dozen seeds about a half inch apart. Water often (daily) and keep in a sunny place. Watch the seeds sprout and grow into a plant over a few weeks. Ask children what plants need to grow.
Sprouting Potato
Items Needed
- 1 Potato
- Toothpicks
- Cup
- Water
Instructions: Place about six toothpicks around the perimeter of the potato so it will balance along the rim of the cup. Fill the cup with water until it touches the bottom of the potato. Over a few weeks to a month, the potato will begin to sprout. Change the water a few times a week during this process. Once the sprouts get long enough (about 2-3 inches), you can plant the sprouted side down in soil, and a potato plant may begin to grow. Explain to the children how some plants can grow from cuttings.
