earth science

Growing a seed activity for kindergarten science is one of the easiest and delight science experiments with kids. Also, grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

A seed activity for kindergarten is a great way to introduce your child to life science.

For this science experiment, I wanted to keep it simple while also letting the kids fully see the seed as it sprouts.

Too, by not being hampered by soil or being tucked inside a paper towel your kids will be amazed at the growing stages.

For this seed experiment we are going to investigate if seeds need darkness to sprout.

Begin by explaining that seeds need the proper temperature, moisture, air, and light conditions to germinate.

But they do not require being covered in soil.

Let’s investigate if the light or dark makes a difference. 

You can keep activities simple and still learn so much by investigating life around you with your child.

A Seed is Sleepy Activity

In addition, I based this experiment off the book A Seed is Sleepy.

Aa beautiful picture book that is a great science reference book for preschoolers to middle elementary students.

The illustrations are rich and the snippets of information it provides give a lot of great information for young learners.

Also, below you will see a list of some other books you can use as well

Books About Seeds for Kids Science

Even picture books can be used with older learners.

5 Fun Books About Seeds

Children of all ages love activities about seeds. Add a few of these books to your learning day or use as a unit study.

A Seed Is Sleepy: (Nature Books for Kids)

This gorgeous book from award winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston offers children a beautiful and informative look at the intricate, complex, and often surprising world of seeds. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts, making it perfect reading material at home or in the classroom.

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Seeds Move!

Every seed, big or small, needs sunlight, water, and an uncrowded place to put down roots. But how do seeds get to the perfect place to grow? 

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A Seed is the Start

Meet seeds that pop, hop, creep, and explode in this vividly illustrated introduction to the simplest concepts of botany. 

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From Seed to Plant

With simple language and bright illustrations, non-fiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination.

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Go Seed, Grow!

Through wind, drought, fire, and water, a seed can be one of the most tenacious miracles on the planet. A seed is life, and life always finds a way. Follow how a seed magically beats the odds time and time again, to transform the world. 

Continue Reading

Then, look at more seed activities here or choose several and make it a great seed unit study.

Hands-on Seed Activities

• Make Wildflower Seed Bombs to plant.
• Plant a small  container with one or two seeds and track the plant’s growth once it bursts out of the soil.
• Learn How to Easily Make Fun Seed Tape With Kids.
• Check out this tutorial on How to Make a Fun Kids Root Viewer.
• Have a Green Bean Investigation.
• Figure out How to Easily Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO to plot it out.   
• Look at Easy Seed and Gardening Unit Study for Kids to get some more ideas.
• Buy several packages of inexpensive seeds and let your child sort, compare, and investigate them. Research the types by looking in books or online to find out what each seed will become.
• Another similar experiment to this one is testing what temperature seeds like best to grow in is found at What Temperature Do Seeds Like Best and
• Try out the Do Seeds Need Their Coat Experiment.

You can also use the book to investigate other types of seeds besides fruit and vegetables.

Go on a nature walk and collect pinecones, acorns, seed pods, and flowers to investigate.

More Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

Look at these other resources.

• Native American Activities For Kindergarten Create A Fun Cradleboard Craft
• Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium
• Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam
• Easy and Fun Pine Cone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten
• 4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten
• Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot
• 10 Best Homeschool Phonics Curriculum For Kindergarten
• 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool
• 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
• Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
• How to Create the Best Homeschool Schedule for Kindergarten (free printable)
• 60 Favorite Top Homeschooling Materials for Kindergarten
• 10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum
• How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life
• BEST Free Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum With A Gentle Approach (List)
• Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning

Then, look below at how to do this easy science activity.

Before you begin the experiment, have your child make a hypothesis as to what they think will happen?

Will both sprout? Which will sprout faster? 

If they can, write down their answers so they have the opportunity to see their words in print.

Let your child do as much of this as possible so they have ownership in the experiment.

Help your child create a small booklet by stapling together half sheets of paper.

For example, staple down one side to bind to record the different steps in the experiment with words or just their drawings.

Explain that you want to try and keep everything the same in the experiment except for the one thing which is light and dark so that your results are accurate.

Easy Grow a Seed Activity

You will need:

• Seeds (radishes are a quick sprouting seed)
• 2 containers
• Black paper
• Paper towels
• Water

Directions:

Grab two of the same containers, whatever you have laying around will work, cleaned out yogurt containers, paper cups, etc.

Then, fold a paper towel so that it is small enough to fit in the bottom.

Soak the paper towel and place a few seeds on each damp paper towel in your cup. 

Cover one cup completely with black construction paper.

Next, place both in a sunny window. Explain that you want to keep everything the same except for one.

Check both every 24 hours.

Usually at this time they are completely or almost dried out so you will need to rewet the paper towels. Take care not to disturb the seeds.

Here is what our experiment looked like at the start.

After 24 hours, there was really no difference yet in either cup.

At 48 hours we could see a tiny sprout bursting out of the seeds which were covered with the dark paper but nothing on the one exposed to light.

After 72 hours there is an obvious sprout from several seeds in the dark cup.

Also, at this point we noticed that one of the seeds in the cup which was covered finally started to germinate but just a tiny bit.

Look how much has happened with the covered seeds after just 3 days.

It’s clear that seeds need the darkness to sprout.

After the experiment is done you can transplant your seedlings to soil for planting in the garden once they are large enough.