Monday: Spring Science for kids

Growing Beans on Cotton Balls (recommended for

all ages)
This is a really easy, visual way to teach children about root systems
Plus it's very exciting to watch how FAST the plants grow!

 All you need for this easy activity is a glass jar or bottle, some cotton wool balls
and beans!

First of all put the cotton wool balls into a glass jam jar. Then the children have to stuck
one bean on either side of the jar so that we could watch 2 growing at once. We used
butter beans straight out of the packet that we bought in the dried beans and pulses
section in the supermarket.

Next, the child have to water it until the cotton wool is damp but not too wet, and place
the jar in the window.

Within 2-3 days the bean started to sprout a small root,and 2-3 days later it grew these
little tendrils.

Another 4-5 days and the bean developed a large network of shoots coming off the
main root, and a sturdy stem grew straight upwards and above the top of the cotton
wool. It dropped the shrivelled husk of the bean skin and looked ready to open up!
Just a day or so later and 2 big, dark green leaves began to unfurl.

And finally, 4-5 days later the beans were growing very steadily, tall and spindly with
large leaves seeking out more sunlight. 
Extension Activities:

Older children could carefully removed them from the jar and notice the complex
network of roots that had, by this time, entangled themselves around the cotton wool
balls at the bottom. Then they can replant the beans into soil in pots in the garden. They
have to watered them and they can watch their rapid growth outside