seed germination experiment for class 5

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Seed Germination Experiment

Watching seeds grow is an amazing science project for kids! Our  seed germination experiment allows kids to see up close to how a seed grows! Learn about the steps of seed germination, and investigate what conditions a seed needs to germinate. Easy science experiments are great for kids of all ages!

Seed Germination In A Jar

Also check out our list of other fun science experiments you can in do a jar! >>> Science in a Jar

• Paper Towels or cotton wool
• Seeds (see our suggestions above)

H ow To Set Up Your Seed Experiment

STEP 1:  Fill the jar with paper towels. Kids can fold them and push them down into the jar. This is also great work for little hands.

STEP 2:  Gently water your seed jar to wet the paper towels. DO NOT FLOOD IT!

STEP 3:  Carefully push seeds down into the paper towels around the edge of the jar so they can still be seen. Make sure they are firmly held in place.

TIP: One easy way to get your seeds to germinate faster is to presoak them in a shallow container of warm water for up to 24 hours. That will soften the hard outer shell of the seed. Don’t soak for longer as they may go moldy!

Our mason jar below includes sunflower, pea, and green bean seeds!

STEP 4: Put your jar in a safe place, and check in regularly to observe any changes.

It all starts with a single seed!

Watching how a seed grows and using a mason jar gives you a front-row seat for observing it all! Sprouting seeds is perfect for a spring STEM activity !

Another fun way to sprout seeds, especially at the end of winter, is with a mini greenhouse made from plastic bottles.

What Is Seed Germination?

First, let’s learn a bit more about germination. Seeds grow into a new plant through a process called germination. Germination is the sprouting of the seed or the very beginning of plant growth.

Availability of water, cold temperatures or warm temperatures, oxygen, and light exposure may all be a factor in starting germination or keeping the seed dormant. What conditions are needed for germination will vary between plants, as each has adapted to the biome in which they live.

Stages of Seed Germination

First, the seed absorbs water. This causes the seed to swell and the outer coating to break. Then the seed starts to break down some of the food that is stored in it. Most seeds will need oxygen in the air in the soil for this to happen.

Eventually, when the seed has grown leaves it can make its own oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis .

Once the seed coat breaks open, the first root grows, called the radicle. In almost all plants, the root comes before the shoot.

Once the root starts to grow, it can now absorb water and nutrients from the soil, instead of getting it from the seed coat.

After the root, the plant’s stem starts to grow. When it reaches above the ground, the leaves begin to grow. This is when the plant no longer has to rely on the stored starch (cotyledon) that comes from the seed.

Turn It Into A Science Project

This simple seed experiment is a great introduction for preschoolers to growing plants , and a fun plant experiment for older kids to investigate what conditions seeds need to germinate.

Older kids can use a science experiment worksheet to write down their observations about how the seeds are growing. While young kids can draw or observe the changes!

There are so many fun questions you can ask…

• Do seeds need light to germinate?
• Does the amount of water affect seed germination?
• Do different types of seeds germinate under the same conditions?
• Does salt water affect seed germination?

Explore how fast different seeds germinate by comparing different kinds of seeds under the same conditions. We tried sunflower seeds, peas, and beans in our seed jar.

Or keep the type of seed the same and set up two mason jars to explore whether seeds need light to germinate. Place one jar where it will get natural light and one in a dark cupboard.

Another idea is to investigate whether seeds need water to germinate and how much. Set up three jars, and measure out how much water goes into each so that one is fully wet, half wet and one has no water.

Learn more about the scientific method for kids and using variables in science experiments!

Free Printable Bean Life Cycle Worksheets

Extend the learning of this hands-on project with this free bean life cycle mini pack !

How To Observe Seed Growth

Get your magnifying glass out and check out all the angles of the seeds. Can you find the different stages of seed germination described earlier?

What do you see in your seed jar?

• You are looking for a root to pop out of the side.
• Next, you are looking for a root to push down into the soil.
• Then, you are looking for root hairs.
• Next, look for the seed to push up while the root hairs push down.
• Lastly, you are looking for the shoots to come up!

The mason jar gives a stunning view of this seed experiment! My son loved being able to see the changes so easily.

More Fun Plant Activities For Kids

Looking for more plant lesson plans? Here are few suggestions for fun plant activities that would be perfect for preschoolers and elementary kids.

Learn about the apple life cycle with these fun printable activity sheets!

Use art and craft supplies you have on hand to create your own parts of a plant craft .

Learn the parts of a leaf with our printable coloring page.

Use a few simple supplies you have on hand to grow these cute grass heads in a cup .

Grab some leaves and find out how plants breath with this simple plant experiment.

Learn about how water moves through the veins in a leaf.

Explore how light, water, and temperature affect plants with this plant growth experiment .

Watching flowers grow is an amazing science lesson for kids of all ages. Find out what are easy flowers to grow!

Printable Spring Activities Pack

If you’re looking to grab all of the printables in one convenient place plus exclusives with a spring theme, our 300+ page Spring STEM Project Pack is what you need!

Weather, geology, plants, life cycles, and more!

58 Comments

This is what we should have done – instead we tried plastic bags to grow the seeds in, and they got foggy with condensation so it was hard to see the root! Aw, well. Lesson learned. Next time – grow them in a jar! lol!

We just started our beans in a jar last week. Looking forward to seeing what happens this week.

We’ve just done the same 🙂 Put the beans in the jar instead plastic bags 🙂 Mr Frog is so excited observing the bean growing!

Wonderful learning activity! Thanks for linking up at the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop!

My girlie is very curious about planting and asks tons of questions about the seeds and what happens with them in the soil. This is a great way to show her clearly enough the whole process of the seed’s growing. Thank you for this idea!

What kind of pea seeds did you use?

Good question. I don’t remember the band or name but it was a common package from the store.

This looks like so much fun! Can’t wait to try with my 4 and 2 year old son and daughter. We’re always looking for affordable, educational and fun activities. This is perfect. Happy to have stumbled onto this site!

Do you cover the jar? Do they need to be near a sunny window? Are you supposed to water them? Thanks!

Wonderful! Thank you!

Hi! I did not cover the jar. They were on a table in front of window that did get sunlight at some point during the day. We did not water daily. I added a tiny bit here and there but not much at all. We actually went away for a week and came back to them being so tall which you can see in the picture above. Thats a week with no water what so ever!

What kind of beans did you use? Pinto? I’m wanting to start this activity here soon with my little in-home daycare. 🙂

We used green beans, sunflowers, and green peas!

Just double checking no soil, just paper towels. This is our spring break project. I can’t wait.

Right no soil!

hello! I’m going to try this with my kindergarten class. Did you use dried green beans infrom a bag (like at the supermarket)? Or fresh ones?

Where did you get your seeds? Did you buy them fresh and pick the seed out off the pods or take it out of the shell? I’m interested in doing this but I don’t want to buy the wrong ones.

Simple seed packets from the grocery store!

that was so cool

What a great learning activity. I am featuring this with a link on my blog.

We are getting ready to start this project today with our preschool class. One thing i have not been able to find is, how much water/how wet do the paper towels need to be?’

super cool!!!

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U just use dried peas you get in a box steep them over night then plant them absolutely excellent outcome 4 kids and grown ups alike lol

Interesting! Share a picture!

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you teach me something thanks very much.

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besides seed jar science is there anything else that kids can do?

What do you mean? Feel free to email me [email protected]

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I cant wait to try this out with the 4 year old children at the our Early Learning Centres I am grateful to have found this page. Thank you so much.

At any point do you add soil to the jar or transfer the plant out so it can grow bigger? If transferring, what’s the best way to move them out of the jar and into a pot? What stage of growth should they be at before doing so? Does this method work for any type of seeds? This is perfect for the plant project I want to start with my in-home daycare but I wanted to use seeds from foods they eat and can replant as a way of incorporating recycling into the other lessons learned but I’m new to all of this including being a first time mom/in-home daycare owner and have lots of questions lol! Thank you in advance for your time, patients, and wisdom! 🙂

You could potentially transfer it! We did not. You wouldn’t add soil to the jar though. Makes a great experiment to see if it takes outside or in a pot!

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Since we are getting to spring, a seed germination jar is a perfect activity. Thanks

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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!"

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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.

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The Educators' Spin On It

Learning Games and Activities

By The Educators Spin On It

Germination Science Experiment

In this twist on the classic germination science experiment, children will test the germination rate of 10 green bean seeds. From making predictions to collecting data, your little scientists will learn all about seeds and how plants grow.

Let’s get started with this germination of seeds activity! 

Affiliate links to products like the super cute Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Tootle Turtle Tote Set pictured in the above picture!

An Easy Germination Science Experiment for Kids to Do

A fun way to teach your child about the germination of seeds!

Materials Needed for Germination Science Experiment

• Plastic baggie
• Black permanent marker
• Paper towel
• Spray Bottle

Directions for Germination Science Experiment

Before the germination science experiment read seed books and talk about seeds.

Introduce the word GERMINATION.  Germination is when the seed begins to grow a root and a shoot. This experiment will allow children to see how and how many seeds germinate.  The plastic bag acts as a window into the world of plant growth!

• Fold the paper towel so it will fit neatly inside the plastic bag.
• Using a black permanent marker, draw a 10 frame on the bag.
• Fill the spray bottle with water and let children mist the paper towel until it is completely moist.
• Place the wet paper towel in the bag.
• Have the children place one bean seed in each compartment in the 10 frame.
• Close the bag and set it flat near a window or other sunny area. (the bag can be taped to a window, but the seeds do not stay in the 10 frame well!)

TIP: Here are the Fastest Growing Seeds for Science Projects .

Want to expand this lesson? Use this free plant life cycle worksheet !

Discussion Questions for Germination Science Experiment

Do you think that all 10 bean seeds will germinate? Explain your answer.

MATH CONNECTIONS:

• Write a prediction on how many bean seeds you believe will germinate.  You many guess numbers between 0 and 10. After plants have germinated check your predictions.  Discuss the results.
• Can you figure out the percentage or germination rate of your bean seeds?  Take the number of bean seeds in your bag that germinated.  Use a calculator and times that number by 10.  If 8 seeds germinated, you would take 8 x 10 = 80.  Your seeds would have an 80% germination rate.

Why do you think knowing a seeds germination rate would be helpful to a farmer?

NOTE: Bean seeds germinated in this way “may” grow if you place them in a soil garden area shortly after germination begins. Often teachers will allow the bean plants to continue growing until leaves form so that students can see the plants growing.

Bean Seed Germination Experiment

Facts about Beans

• A bean seed will grow into a bean plant.
• The plant will produce blossoms that will turn into beans.  If left to mature. The beans will contain 5-6 bean seeds that can be re-planted.
• Some bean seeds are white, red, brown, or black.  We have even planted red speckled bean seeds.
• The roots and stem will come out of the seed.  When this happens, it is called – germination.
• Roots go down from the bean seed into the earth due to gravity.  They help the bean plant absorb water and nutrients from the soil.  You will see this in the first few days of your grow a bean maze experiment.
• Even if you plant the seed upside down, the roots will “turn themselves” back the right way.
• The stem, or shoot, will go upwards in search of sunlight and air.

Germination Science Experiment Vocabulary

Germination :  when the seed begins to grow a root and a shoot.

Root :  Part of the plant beneath the soil that absorbs water and nutrients.

Sprout : the beginning growth of a plant

Sprouting : the practice of germinating seeds

We all know that plants need water, sun, and soil to grow. In this science experiment, kids will grow a bean maze to truly “see” how plants will seek out what they need.

Seed and Flower Activities for Kids

More SEED and Flower Inspired Learning Activities from our Teach ECE Education Team and here at The Educators’ Spin On It. We recommend:

• Tracing Letters with Seeds by Mom Inspired Life
• Flower Scavenger Hunt Mini-Book by Life Over C’s
• Growing Seeds and Journaling by Learning 2 Walk
• Song About Weeds by Capri + 3
• Printable Seed Activities Inspired by The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
• Gardening with Kids, Seeds versus Transplants
• Saving Sunflower Seeds
• Best Flowers to Plant to Attract Butterflies
• Unlocking the Mysteries of Seed Germination

Click for more Gardening with Kids

Like this idea? Pin for later or share now with a friend!

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June 17, 2016 at 5:52 am

The blog is very nice and shares great information. keep up the good work. school franchise in india

April 20, 2016 at 9:19 am

Our kids would love to try this experiment. I love that they can also try multiplication with a calculator to find out the rate of germination.

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