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Reading material, video, and games

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Plants are alive! They take in nutrients, they grow and they reproduce. Plants grow best when they have the right conditions. That means getting the right amount of sunlight and water to grow best.
To better understand how plant growth works...

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Read About How Plants Grow | Basic Science for Kids | Grades K-2

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Plants are alive! They take in nutrients, they grow and they reproduce. Plants grow best when they have the right conditions. That means getting the right amount of sunlight and water to grow best. To better understand how plant growth works...

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6 Parts of a Plant & Their Functions Kids MUST Know

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Let’s know about the parts of a plant. Plants are mainly classified into two parts: The root system, and The shoot system (stem, leaf, flower, fruit)

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6 Parts of a Plant & Their Functions Kids MUST Know

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Plant Word Search for Kids - Free Printable Word Find Puzzle Game Worksheet

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Challenge your puzzle solving skills with our plant word search for kids. Do you have what it takes to find the range of words related to seeds, trees, flowers and other important plants?

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All ages | Bring nature inside with these coloring pages of plants, taken from works by botanical artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

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How Plants Grow for Kids | Learn about photosynthesis and what plants need to grow strong

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Involve your child in this project by carefully explaining that the seeds will take several weeks to grow, and that he or she will need to check the pot daily. It will be your child's job to test the soil for dryness and to water the seedlings.

Try growing a variety of seeds, using a different pot for each kind. Write the plant names on small wooden ice cream sticks and push them into the pots. If you don't have space for a row of pots, use an egg carton or cartons. This way, your child can compare the size, shape, and growth rate of different seedlings. When the plants are large enough, have your child carefully transplant them to an outside garden.

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parent tip help preschooler step-by-step instructions plant seeds flowerpots potting soil  sunny window to make toddler early learner nursery school parent helps child kids kid ideas creative crafts simple easy reader story words recipes tips easy-to-read easy to learn creative ideas help hints to give your child boost early learning science experiment children children's activity fun easy step-by-step instructions simple ingredients kids kid experiments kitchen safe photo photos educational family experiment bowl cornstarch blue food coloring newspaper craft measuring cup

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Science Experiment: Grow Plants From a Packet of Seeds--National Geographic Little Kids

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Parents: Help your kids grow plants from a packet of seeds. Your preschoolers will love this science project.

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Life Cycle of a Plant

Learn about the life cycle of a plant by sorting the parts of a flower, discovering what each part does and how in contributes to the life cycle of a living thing. Enjoy the interactive flower dissection activity and find out more about the flower petals, sepals, carpel, nectaries, receptacle and stamens. Experiment with the different parts of a flower, sort them into the correct categories, label them and learn useful information. Did you know that stamens make pollen, the nectar used by bees to make honey is made in the nectaries of a flower and petals are often bright so they attract insects?

Not working? Try downloading the game and running it through flash player from your desktop.
Download Life Cycle of a Plant Game
Download Flash Player (PC)
Download Flash Player (Mac)

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Life Cycle of a Plant - Flower Dissection Activity - Science Games for Kids

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Life Cycle of a Plant Learn about the life cycle of a plant by sorting the parts of a flower, discovering what each part does and how in contributes to the life cycle of a living thing. Enjoy the interactive flower dissection activity and find out more about the flower petals, sepals, carpel, nectaries, receptacle and stamens.

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How Plants Grow - Science Games & Activities for Kids

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Full online lesson plan

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Online lesson

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Suck It Up! How Water Moves Through Plants

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Suck It Up! How Water Moves Through Plants

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Summary

Introduction

Have you ever heard someone say, "That plant is thirsty," or, "Give that plant a drink of water"? We know that all plants need water to survive, even bouquets of cut flowers and plants living in deserts. But have you ever thought about how the water moves within the plant? In this activity, you will put carnations in dyed water to figure out where the water goes. Where do you think the dyed water will travel, and what will this tell you about how the water moves in the cut flowers?

This activity is not recommended for use as a science fair project. Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data. To find a science fair project that is just right for you, browse our library of over 1,200 Science Fair Project Ideas or use the Topic Selection Wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.

Materials

Several white carnations or other white flowers (at least 3). Tip: Younger flowers work better than older ones.

Food coloring; blue or red are the easiest to see

Optional: Celery stalks with leaves

Instructions

1. Measure out ½ cup of water and pour it into the glass or vase.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of the food color to the water in the glass.

3. With the help of an adult, use a knife to cut the stems of several (at least three) white flowers at a 45 degree angle. Tip: Be sure not to use scissors, as they will crush the stems, making it harder for them to absorb water. Also, shorter stems work better than longer stems.

4. Place the flowers in the colored water. As you do this, use the stems of the flowers to stir the water until the dye has fully dissolved.

5. Observe the flowers immediately after you put them in the water. If you have a camera, you can use it to take a picture of the flowers. How do the flowers look now?

6. Observe the flowers around 2, 4, 24, and 48 hours after you put them in the dyed water. Be sure to also observe their stems, especially the bumps where the leaves branch from the stem and it is lighter green (it may be easier to see the dye here). If you have a camera, you can use it to take a picture of the flowers at these time points.

7. How did the flowers look after 2 hours? What about after 4, 24, and 48 hours? How did their appearance change over this time period?

What does the flowers' change in appearance tell you about how water moves through the plants?

What Happened?

After 2 hours of being in the dyed water, some flowers should have clearly showed dyed spots near the edges of their petals. By 24 hours, the flowers should have gained an overall dyed hue, which darkened a little over time. The stems should have also become slightly dyed in places, particularly where the leaves branch off.

Water moves through the plant due to capillary action - which can pull liquids through narrow tubes like the stems - and transpiration. Water that is pulled through the stem by capillary action then makes its way up to the flower and leaves. Once in the leaves and petals, the water evaporates in a process called transpiration. Because the dye does not evaporate, it stays around and dyes the plant - especially the petal tips. When water is lost from the plant due to transpiration, this causes low water pressure in the plant, which triggers more capillary action and makes fresh water be pulled up through the stem, from the vase. Since the water is dyed, this also pulls more dye into the plant over time, dyeing it darker.

Digging Deeper

Plants use water to keep their roots, stems, leaves, and flowers healthy and to prevent them from drying out and wilting. The water is also used to carry dissolved nutrients throughout the plant.

Most of the time, plants get their water from the ground. This means that the plant has to transport the water from its roots up throughout the rest of the plant. How does it do this? Water moves through the plant by means of transpiration and capillary action. Capillary action occurs when the forces binding a liquid together (cohesion and surface tension) and the forces attracting that bound liquid to another surface (adhesion) are greater than the force of gravity. The plant's stem basically sucks up water like a straw! A simple way of observing capillary action is to take a teaspoon of water and gently pour it in a pool on a countertop. You will notice that the water stays together in the pool, rather than flattening out across the countertop. (This happens because of cohesion and surface tension.) Now gently dip the corner of a paper towel in the pool of water. The water clings to the paper and "climbs" up the paper towel. This is capillary action.

Ask an Expert

For Further Exploration

In this activity, you used white flowers, but do you think you would see the same results with other flowers and plants? Try this activity a plant that is mostly stem, like a stalk of celery.

Try doing this activity again but use more or less food color, such as one-half, twice, four times, or ten times as much food color. What happens if you increase or decrease the concentration of food color in the water?

How would you make a multi-colored carnation? Hint: You could try (1) leaving the flower for a day in one color of water and then putting it in another color of water for a second day or (2) splitting the stem in two and putting each half of the stem in a different color of water.

Project Ideas

Science Fair Project Idea

Have you ever heard someone say, "that plant is thirsty" or "give that plant a drink of water"? We know that plants, and even bouquets of cut flowers, need water to survive, but have you ever thought about how the water moves within the plant? In this science project, you will use colored water and carnations to figure out where the water goes. Read more

Links

Careers

With a growing world population, making sure that there is enough food for everyone is critical. Plant scientists work to ensure that agricultural practices result in an abundance of nutritious food in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. Read more

As the world's population grows larger, it is important to improve the quality and yield of food crops and animal food sources. Agricultural technicians work in the forefront of this very important research area by helping scientists conduct novel experiments. If you would like to combine technology with the desire to see things grow, then read further to learn more about this exciting career. Read more

Life is all around us, in beauty and abundance, and the people who introduce students to how life forms live and interact are biology teachers. Their work helps develop the next generation of doctors, nurses, life scientists, and engineers. Their enthusiasm and appreciation for all life helps students understand their own bodies, and how life forms are all connected to each other and to their environments. Read more

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Suck It Up! How Water Moves Through Plants | STEM Activity

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Learn how to dye flowers while discovering how capillary action helps keep flowers watered and fed.

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Of all the science standards that I teach, I think Growth and Changes in Plants has got to be one of the most fun. When you see the excitement on your student's faces at the way their plants are growing, it makes all of your hard work worthwhile! If the thought of teaching Growth and Changes in Plants doesn't bring you the same thrill it does me, these new, creative activities just might change your mind! Here are my favorite hands-on activities to engage your students and make learning about Growth and Changes in Plants extra fun!

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1. Growth and Changes Plant Experiments

It's safe to say that we all have done that lesson where we plant a bean seed, hang it in the window, and watch it grow. Yes, it is an effective way for students to see how plants grow from a seed. But let's change it up a bit! Try experimenting with established plants! It's fun to watch seeds germinate and that has its place when teaching germination. However, by using established plants that are already growing and developed, it takes less time to show the effects of certain controls.

You want students to learn what plants need to be healthy and grow well. Start by brainstorming ideas of what your students think plants need. Then, using several of the same types of seedlings, simply change the controls to see what affects growth. Here are some control ideas to use with your plants:

Keep one plant in the dark and one in the light

Plant seedlings in different soils (loam, clay, sand)

Place one plant in a cold environment and another in a hot environment

Differentiate the amount of water you give each plant

Change the air quality for each plant

Explain to your students that they will be responsible for carefully observing their plants each day. Give them time each day to make observations and talk with their friends about what they saw and think. Students could have a journal to keep notes and drawings on what they see or the whole class could record observations on an anchor chart. For even more fun, ask your students to make predictions about what they think the effects of each control will be!

The purpose of these experiments is for students to experience firsthand what makes a plant grow the best, healthiest, and fastest. The best way for this to happen is to see the effects, and draw conclusions for themselves!

2. Vegetable Cuttings Illustrate Plant Growth and Changes

Did you know that some plants and vegetables will grow again and again? It's true! Plants like romaine lettuce, celery, beets, pineapple, potatoes, and more will all continue to grow from a cutting.

Simply take a stem cutting that is around 4 inches long.

Cut the leaves off of the lower half of the stem cutting and leave a few leaves at the top of the stem. Put the stem cutting in a glass or jar of water. The water needs to be high enough to cover the bottom inch of the stem cutting.

Keep the jar in a warm, well-lit place, but not in direct sunlight. Be sure to change the water every couple of days to keep bacteria from growing. Also, make sure the stem cutting is always underwater. Your students will be in awe when, in a few weeks, or less, roots should begin to form on the stem cutting!

What stem cuttings should you use with your students? Here are some of my classes' more successful replants:

Root plant cuttings are an amazing and easy way to teach your students about plant growth! They provide a hands-on, visual way to observe the process of root development. And they just look so cool! Not sure how or where to start? Check out this informative blog post from A Piece of Rainbow.

3. The Root System

Since we're on the subject of roots, let's jump into teaching your students why roots play an important role in the survival of the plant. Roots anchor the plant in the ground and keep them from falling over.

I bought this see-through planter from Amazon and we grew bean seeds in it to show students how roots grow, gather water, and spread out to gather nutrients from the soil. This was a terrific learning tool for the students to see that the roots grow first and how they do their job.

Try growing your rooted vegetable cuttings in this planter box so students can see the cycle of the roots growing into the plant!

There is also the classic celery stalk in colored water (which turns the stem and leaves the color of the water) experiment to show how plants drink. I think we have all done the white carnation in food-colored water to turn the petals of the carnation to the color of the water too. These are always good to review as well, but I find as I teach grade 3 they have more than likely done these experiments in previous grades.

4. Hairy Heads

Grass seeds are my favorite thing to grow because honestly, they have always worked! And grass looks like hair so we make Hairy heads!

To do this, I drop 2 scoops of grass seeds into a stocking and then add dirt and tie it off.

Soak the stocking overnight in water and the next day take it out of the water, turn it so the grass seeds point skyward, and set it on the windowsill to grow!

I find that if you place it in a styrofoam cup it helps keep it moist and then you can water it as your hairy head grows.

5. Eat Plants?!?

Using what we learned from the rerooting vegetable experiment, we as a class "grow a salad". My students love growing their own root vegetables, but eating them is a whole other level of awesome!

We have a "feast day" where we eat the fruits of our labors. I provide the lettuce and often a few extras such as broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, etc... especially if our root vegetables didn't provide enough food for everyone to get a taste.

I give my students directions for things I want them to do while they're eating, such as to look at their salad and:

Students get a kick out of eating stems, leaves, flowers, and roots! As they eat, they are identifying parts of the plant and really understand the concept of plants as food. This is also a great place to incorporate the book Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens.

It may seem like a no-brainer that plants are food, but many students don't know this. And if they do, they often can't identify which part of the plant they are eating. So for this reason, I often teach a "plants are food" lesson before we ever eat our salads.

In my Growth and Changes in Plants resource, I have an entire lesson on this concept- complete with picture cards, a sorting activity, and a "Plants grown for food" chart that is a perfect complement to the above "Feast Day" activity!

Ready to Teach Growth and Changes in Plants?

With all the fun hands-on plant activities I have shared, I hope you've found several to use in your classroom! Not only are these activities engaging for your students, but they are sure to make your teaching fun as well!

If you loved these ideas, then check out the done-for-you lesson plans and activities in my Growth and Changes in Plants resource! This unit incorporates the concepts that I mentioned in this post and so much more! You'll find student printable activities, beautifully illustrated vocabulary cards, and a unit test that assesses your students' comprehension of everything you have taught! Your teacher self will thank you for making their life so much easier!

You can find all of these ready to use resources for your plant unit in my TPT store. Fill your lesson plans with these fun and engaging plant activities and save time too!

Be sure to grab this Free Growth and Changes in Plants Checklist. While this is created for the Grade 3 Ontario Science Curriculum, it can be used by anyone! Simply click on the image below to download

More Grade 3 Science Resources

If you are looking for more engaging and hands-on science resources for third grade, check out these posts:

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5 Hands-On Activities to Teach Growth and Changes in Plants

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Are you teaching Growth and Changes in Plants and need some creative activities to engage your students and make learning fun?!

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Seeds have all the nutrients needed to germinate and grow their first pair of leaves.

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Roots begin to develop and spread searching for nutrients.

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Nitrogen is absorbed and sends energy to growing stems and leaves.

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Phosphorous is absorbed for reproduction. Leaves transform into buds.

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Potassium helps produce and transport sugar and starch to help develop flowers.

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When the plants flowers and fruit are mature.