CLASSROOM SEED STARTER KIT
Provided:
Windowsill Greenhouse Kits (Tray/Dome/Pellets)
Packet(s) of Seeds
Spray Bottle
Mapping Instructions
Class to Provide:
Photocopies of seed packet information
Scissors
Old towels
Masking tape for labeling
Pencils or planting sticks
Sharpie
Ruler
Tweezers (optional)
12 sheets of scrap paper or newspaper or paper plates.
White tray or paper plate to hold seeds
The Garden of Learning suggests garden activities are most successful in small groups but please adapt
the concept to fit the needs of your class. The activity consists of the following steps.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Soak the pellets.
Review seed packet.
Divide the seeds.
Discuss energy packs and solar panels.
Plant the seeds.
Map your tray or label your seedlings.
Journaling and ongoing care
Follow up or introductory activity – Read Frog Belly Rat Bone
The activity can take place in the garden at the tables, on the steps of the amphitheater, at the blue
picnic tables, or in a classroom.
Page 1 of 6
Before you begin
Make copies of the front and back of the seed packets
Prepare a spot in a warm, sunny area window sill accommodate mini greenhouses. If you cannot find a
place in your classroom, we will probably set up some grow lights on the counter in room 14.
Using a sharpie, mark a few sticks or pencils with the depth your seed needs to be planted or do this
later with class.
Read complete instructions and set up supplies for each step
Prepare pellets:
Remove the peat pellets from the tray. Place six pellets back in tray and add about 1 CUP of warm
water to start them soaking. KEEP THE EXTRA PELLETS DRY FOR THE STUDENTS TO WATCH. Fill the
spray bottle with warm water. You can find warm tap water in the nurse’s office or the teachers’
lounge. You may find that the pellets take too long to fully expand, so having a few pellets ready to
go can eliminate delays. Using warm water will speed up the process.
Handle the mini greenhouses with care. If they stay in good shape we can use them for many seasons.
ACTIVITY
Soaking Pellets
Remove pre-soaked pellets from tray IF they have fully expanded. If not,
leave them in the tray. Show the students the compressed pellet. Set six
compressed pellets in tray. Remove cap from spray bottle to pour in a little more than 1 cup of warm
water. Set tray aside.
Review Seed Packet
Give students some copies to share of the front and back of seed packet. The whole school will be
planting different types of seeds. These plants will be used in our spring garden. Hopefully, extra plants
will be sold to raise funds for garden supplies.
Discuss the information on the packet with the students. Q and A about the info on the seed packet.
What are we planting? What must a gardener know about the sunlight requirements, time of year to
Page 2 of 6
plant, spacing? Especially identify how deep to plant seed. If you are working with the youngest grades,
point out this information. There are often symbols they can look for.
Divide the seeds
CAREFULLY trim top edge of one seed packet with a scissors. Make sure not to cut off any labeling.
Save this packet and put it in the “Garden” box in the copy room. We will laminate it to use as garden
signage.
Empty seeds onto tray(s). IF your seeds are small you may want to only empty some of the seeds at one
time or use a tweezers. If you have an extremely small seeds you can skip this step altogether.
Count how many seeds you have. Determine if you are going to put 1 seeds in each pellet. For planting,
students can work in pairs. They can share a pellet and each plant one seed in the same pellet.
Utilize grade appropriate math skills here. (Counting by 10’s, division, grouping, etc.)
“ We have X trays with 12 pellets each. There are N seeds in the packet. How many seeds can we
put in each tray? Or Do we have enough seeds for each pellet?”
NOTE: The above step can be eliminated if time, location or group dynamics are not suitable.
Energy Packs and Solar Panels
Read or discuss the following:
Each seed has an “Energy Pack.” When the conditions are right with
warmth and moisture the energy pack will activate. The plant will
start to sprout and start reaching for the surface to put out its “Solar
Panels”. The leaves on a plant are the solar panels. If the seed is
very small, it has a small energy pack and should be planted closer to the surface so it can get the solar
panels out before the energy pack runs out. Larger seeds have larger energy pack so they can be
planted deeper.
Mark your planting stick or show the students the planting stick you have prepared.
Page 3 of 6
Planting Seed
Check soaking pellets, if they are expanded fully (or enough to work with) pour off any excess water and
proceed. If the pellets need more water or need to soak longer, skip ahead to mapping/labeling and
journaling.
Pellets should be secure enough for students to handle over a sheet of scrap paper. If not, use the clear
lid and the black tray and gather half the group around each tray. Remind them to take turns.
Instruct students to gently pull back the netting on the TOP of their peat plug and lightly fluff the top of
the soil. Use a planting stick to depress hole(s) in expanded pellet to receive the seed.
Place ONE seed in each hole and carefully brush the soil over seed. Make sure not to push seed any
deeper. Place pots neatly and securely in growing tray.
When the tray is full, mist the pots well to make sure they are fully soaked. Drain off any excess water
that in the bottom of the tray if necessary.
A tiny bit of water in the bottom of the tray will help keep soil moist, but too much water is not good.
Maintain a good balance of moisture throughout sprouting.
Labeling / Mapping
Refer to the mapping instructions sheet to track the sprouting activity of your seeds.
Not all the seeds may germinate.
Don’t forget to LABEL. Please write the seed name on the tape on the side of the planting tray. Refer to
seed packet and identify variety if needed. Also label with the teacher’s name. Do not write directly on
the plastic tray.
Journal the Progress:
Keep your mapping sheet in your Garden journal. Write down the day you planted the seeds.
Tell students that they will be monitoring the progress of the seeds and making sure they stay moist.
They should especially note when first sprout appears. Count number of sprouts each day thereafter.
Describe what sprouts look like.
Finish:
Page 4 of 6
Place towel under growing tray, put plastic lid on top and set in a warm location. (You can cover half of
the towel over top clear tray up until the first sprouts appear.)
Post one of the copies of the seed packets in the classroom near the seed trays if possible. Also tape or
staple a copy of the seed packet in the garden journal.
Please save the seed packet. Put it in the “Garden Box” in the copy room.
Ongoing:
Discuss the ongoing care with the teacher. It works best for the students to water and monitor seeds in
the classroom since we would like them to track the progress. Suggest that the students utilize time
during recesses or after school to water and journal. This should not be something that disrupts
classroom routines.
Check your seeds every day. Mist each pot with a spray bottle to keep moist. Do not let it dry out.
Make sure to drain any excess water if it is pooling at the bottom of the tray.
If the soil appears too wet, adjust clear lid for a day to let out excess moisture.
When seedlings reach top of clear plastic cover, remove cover. Rotate tray. Your seedlings will stretch
towards the light source.
Docents: Please monitor the watering and journaling as best you can. Re-educate the students on
proper watering if you are finding the seeds too wet or dry.
Empty Pots:
Not all of your seeds may sprout. This is normal. After most of your seeds have sprouted and they are
about three inches in height, you can decide if any barren pots should be discarded or replaced.
Deciding when to discard pots that did not germinate is up to you. Even though the expected timing on
the seed packed has expired, if your conditions were not warm enough or moist enough, it may take
longer for the seeds to germinate. Usually if you have not seen any new sprouts for a few weeks, you
can assume that a barren pot is not going to germinate.
Transplant:
Eventually your seedlings will outgrow this tray. You will notice the sprouts are too tall, falling over into
each other and the roots may be growing through the bottom. An instruction sheet for Transplanting
Seedlings will be distributed next month.
Optional activity to do the day before or after you plant seeds:
Page 5 of 6
Read the story, Frog Belly Rat Bone. This book will be in the garden box in the copy room. It is a silly
and clever story about planting a garden. It would work well for a wide range of ages.
Page 6 of 6