Sprouting Explorations | A Couple of How-To Videos to Grow with Items Found in a Kitchen

The Magic in Seeds

Imagine a seed held between your fingertips and quietly bringing it closer to your eyes. Inside of that tiny seed is the start of a plant. Isn’t that magical? Learn how to observe the magic of seeds in this How-To Sprout a Seed Video created by students in Urban Agriculture Fall ‘20. This simple plant exploration activity can be easily done with dry lima bean or pinto bean. That's right! Beans are seeds we eat.

Can you think of other seeds we eat? To help you think about all the different seeds we eat, check out this read-aloud, A Fruit is a Suitcase by Jean Richards and illustrated by Anca Hariton. This beautifully crafted book will make you smile as you think about popping a strawberry in your mouth or biting into a juicy peach. There's much to explore on each page of this book as we learn how fruit is just a suitcase for seeds!

Lettuce Grow Together

Did you know that placing a head of lettuce in a dish of water can grow a whole new head of lettuce? That’s right! Make sure the stem or base is still intact. This project is perfect after a nice, big green salad. Try it out! We recommend Romaine lettuce, but you can explore all different types of leafy greens to test what will grow anew. Watch this How-To Grow Lettuce Video created by students in Urban Agriculture Fall ‘20 to get started!

More Ways to Learn and Grow

Want to learn more about germination (seed sprouting), but you're not sure where to start?  In this lovely Postcard from the Garden created by students in Cultural Anthropology Spring ‘21, you will discover what the words germination and pollination mean. These big words become easy to understand... it just takes practice. After you watch this video, take a walk outside to count how many pollinators you can find. Remember we need bees to help plants form seeds!

One of our favorite parts of learning in the garden is reading books about what we find in the garden, which is why we connect picture books in various lessons and learning prompts. The text and illustrations can invite great questions and deeper thinking from children and their adults alike. It's always fun to have some read to you too. Take a little break from the hectic pace of your day and listen along to Miss Lisa read aloud From Seed to Plant by Gail Bibbons! The magic of plants will be revealed.