Autumn is a wonderful time to talk to your child about the cycle of life. As you walk around your neighborhood. Point out how the trees, flowers and other plants lose their bright green color and wilt. Many plants will die in the fall. This may make your child feel sad, or even worry what the world will look like without flowers and plants.
Show your child that he doesn’t need to worry. Every plant that dies leaves a part of itself behind for the next season. These activities will help your child learn about seeds and how to prepare for the future.
Seed Bank
Take a long walk around your neighborhood and look for seeds. Point out the many different kinds of seeds that are available in the fall. Focus on seeds that are safe and easy to spot. For example, milkweed pods are easy to spot, but they are poisonous. The same is true of many shrubbery berries such as Oleander and Nandina. So, stay away from any plant you are not completely familiar with. When it comes to children and plants, when in doubt, leave it out. Instead focus on safe seeds. Here is a short list of safe seeds.
Maple Spinners – These easy-to-spot seeds are abundant just about everywhere. They float down from Maple branches like tiny helicopters and are easy to gather.
Marigold - Simply wait until the flowers die, then pull the petals from the stem. The seeds are attached to the petal by a short stalk.
Sunflowers – Unless you have grown these in your own garden, talk to the gardener before taking some of the seeds. Many gardeners and parks grow the flowers to provide food for birds throughout the winter.
Dandelion – These are among the easiest seeds to spot. Some call them “dandelion clocks” or “dandelion fuzz.” Grass – Tall grasses often go to seed. The seed heads are at the top of long stalks that grow next to the grass leaves. Simply cut the entire seed head, or pull the seeds from the stalk to gather.
Acorns – Look for these around parks and yards where oak trees grow. But hurry, the squirrels, chipmunks and other small animals may beat you to these nuts.
Pine Nuts – Pine cones protect the pine seeds. Look between the scales. If the seeds are dry and ripe, you can pull them from the cone.
Don’t forget seeds in the kitchen. Many of the fruits and vegetables you prepare everyday contain seeds that you can dry out on a piece of waxed paper and save. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini all contain seeds. Most fruits contain seeds such as apples, pears, peaches and oranges all have seeds. You can also add dried seeds such as pinto beans, peas, alfalfa and chia. If you want to grow the seeds, be sure to get organic, untreated fruits and vegetables.
Another safety note when dealing with seeds and small children is to watch them carefully while handling the little seeds, especially if you have babies in the house. While they aren’t poisonous, most of these seeds pose a choking hazard to little ones.
Gather the seeds
As you gather each type of seed, place a generous sample in a zipper snack bag. The bag should be clear so that your child can look at the seeds. Write the name on the bag if you know the name of the plant.
If possible, take a picture of the plant, the fruit or the vegetable that the seed came from. In some cases, you may want to take several pictures such as the plant or tree, and the fruit or pinecone. Print off small copies of the pictures.
Creating a Seed Bank
- Find a three-ring binder. Bigger rings work better than smaller ones.
- Purchase or recycle binder dividers. As an alternative, cut poster board to 8 ½ by 11-inch sheets and punch holes for the binder. Use reinforcement tabs over the holes to protect the pages. They will get heavy as you fill them in.
- Write the name of the seeds at the top of the page, such as “Maple Tree Seeds.”
- Tape or staple the bag of seeds under the name.
- Tape or glue the picture of the plant next to the seeds.
- Ask your child what she remembers of what the day was like when you gathered the seeds. Were you working together in the kitchen? Did you go to an apple orchard? Were you playing in the park? Write, or help your child write down the memory.
Add to your book as you find more seeds. From time to time, go through the seed bank. Talk about the ways the seeds are different. Some might be big, while others are small. Are the seeds rough or smooth? Are they fragile? Do they break easily in the baggie? Or are the seeds tough and hard.
New Life
- In the darkest part of the winter, help your child prepare for spring by sprouting some of the seeds.
- Collect and recycle clear plastic containers. Wash them and set them aside.
- Go through the seed bank with your child and choose a different seed for every container. Place the seeds around the sides of the container and fill the center of each container with crumpled paper towels, paper napkins or newspaper. Make sure that the crumpled paper is firm enough to hold the seeds next to the clear sides of the container.
- Soak the paper, to keep the seeds moist. Add more paper if necessary.
- Ask your child to draw a picture of the seed in the cup. Label the drawing with the correct seed type.
- As days pass, keep the paper moist, never letting it completely dry out.
- Watch the seeds, as they start to sprout, point out the changes to your child. Ask your child to draw what the seeds look like as they grow. Be sure to label each drawing.
When your seedlings outgrow the clear cups, plant them in small pots or recycled cans with soil. Encourage your child to continue to draw changes as they take place. Add the drawings to the notebook, so that your child has a complete life-cycle of the plant.