The Great Spring Seed Race

If you're looking for a spring science project, the Great Spring Seed Race could be just the thing! It's not a fast race, so you'll need a few weeks and a little patience.

The idea behind this activity is to plant several different seeds and make observations over time. It's a great way for kids to learn about germination and start to understand what's happening as a plant grows.

Seeds are like little time capsules. They can stay dormant for years, waiting for just the right combination of moisture and light to start to grow.

Seed Races

You'll need

Transparent cups
Soil
Different types of seeds - radish, lettuce, pumpkin, broad beans and sunflower seeds are good options.
Water
A sunny spot

Instructions

Fill the cups about ¾ full of soil.

Place each type of seed in a separate cup near the side (so you can see the seed sprout), and place a little soil on top.

Sprinkle the same amount of water into each cup.

Add a little water to the soil each day or when it looks dry.

Remember, each seed should receive the same amount of water and soil to ensure the investigation is fair.

Check the seeds each day and record any observations.

Watch for

Seeds swelling up. This happens when they absorb water and get ready to germinate.
The first tiny root. This is called the radicle and sprouts first to anchor the seed in the soil.
The first green shoot breaking through the soil.

The Sprinter - First to germinate
Hurdler - First green shoot
High Jumper - Tallest
Bodybuilder - Thickest Stem
Weightlifter - Strongest roots
Most energy - seed wth the most energy inside.

Race Ideas

If you used radish or lettuce seeds, you'll probably find these sprout first as they are small with thin skins, which allow water to soak in quickly and easily.

Broad bean and pumpkin seeds have a thicker seed coat and need to absorb more water than smaller seeds in order to sprout.

Top tips

Once the seeds have germinated, mark where the roots are with a pen each day.

You'll need to repot the plants as they grow.

Ideas for seeds to use

Sprinter - Radish, mung bean, cress - in the right conditions these seeds can germinate in 24 hours.

Hurdler - Alfalfa - these tiny seeds grow quickly and turn get green shoots when exposed to sunlight.

High Jumper - Sunflower - sunflowers grow quickly and tall! This rapid growth is driven by Auxins ( plant hormones ).

Body Builder - Pea plant, sunflower- pea and sunflower plants have thick, sturdy stems.

Weightlifter - Sweetcorn roots ( maize ) are very strong to support the tall stalks of the plant.

Most energy - Pumpkin seeds are a great contender for the most energy, the seeds are big and contain huge amounts of energy compared to smaller seeds.