The rains have come and the sun is shining down. Many seeds are excited to sprout! This activity is a great way to get to watch seeds sprouting while using eggshells, which many of us have at home!
- Eat some eggs, save the shells. When cracking them, practice getting two halves.
- Rinse out the shells,(you can poke a hole in the bottom with a toothpick and remove membrane around hole.)
- Put the shells back into the egg carton.
- Fill the half shell with soil. Potting soil, or happy soil from your yard should work.
- Gather your seeds. Maybe you have some seed packets that you want to experiment with, or some saved seeds from something in your kitchen. I saved some seeds from some yummy tomatoes a friend grew last year and planted those! Are any plants going to seed in your yard, or around the block-try those!
- Plant your seeds. Push them down into the soil with your finger.
- Place by a window that gets sunlight and where you can watch them.
- Water them-you want the soil to be damp but not too wet. Water every few days-depending on how hot it is.
- Practice patience, check on them, make sure they are staying moist.
- Are they sprouting?! What do they look like? Do they look like the adult plant?
- Thin them if needed. Sometimes too many seeds go in each eggshell and they are too crowded – if so, pluck a few out.
- Once they are large enough plant them in a larger pot or outside! Crush up the eggshell a bit at the bottom, this will provide the plant with a great supply of calcium and also can help deter snails.
- Continue to observe and get to know these new plants. Maybe you will get to see them go to seed and then you can collect the seeds and do it again!!
If you have older children here are some ways that you can expand upon this project:
- Let them take the lead: let them learn to take care of the seedlings–it may be through trial and error but that is ok!
- They can measure the plants each week or even each day!
- Can they be so patient that they can watch the plant grow right in front of their eyes!?
- They can learn about this plant: Where is it native to? What is its scientific name? What is the animals’ relationship with this plant?