Acts Activities & Crafts (Lesson #1)
Younger & Older Children – Seed Germination
Materials needed:
- Clear plastic 10-12 oz drinking cups
- Clear plastic dome or flat lids (make sure lid will fit the cup)
- 3 Paper towels per child (soft, absorbent type, like Bounty)
- Water in a spray bottle (1 bottle shared among 4-5 children)
- Assorted Seeds-Sunflower, Pea, Alfalfa, Marigold
- Dried Beans-Pinto, Mung, Northern Beans (from grocery store)
- Colored paper or cardstock cut into 2”x4” pieces
- Hole Punch
- 8”-10” yarn or string
- Colored drinking straws cut into 0.5”-1” pieces (used as beads)
- Pencil or marker
- Print memory verse onto sheets of labels (we used Avery 5160)
Instructions:
- Give each child a piece of cardstock and a memory verse label.
- Stick memory verse onto cardstock, write child’s name on the back of cardstock, punch a hole into one end of cardstock.
- Give each child a plastic lid, yarn, and some drinking straw pieces.
- Punch a hole on either side of the lid for the handle.
- Tie one end of yarn to the lid. Using the other end of yarn, string pieces of straws onto yarn like beads, including memory verse. Tie yarn onto other side of lid to form handle.
- Give each child a plastic cup and 3 paper towels. Loosely crumple up paper towels and place inside cup.
- Using spray bottle, wet paper towels inside cup until saturated.
- Choose several kinds of seeds, place seeds in cup along outer edges of paper towel, so that seeds are visible. Seal shut with lid.
- Explain that it takes time for a seed to grow into a plant. Different seeds grow at different times. We must wait for them to grow. Remind the children to look at their seeds each day, keep the towels moist by adding water, and wait for roots to sprout, tiny root hairs to form, and a shoot to rise from the seed.
