Today I want to share a fun little science experiment with you that’s super easy to do and fun for kids – growing seed sprouts in your socks! I’m sure you’ve all seen the project where you can grow a bean sprout in a plastic bag with a piece of cotton. Well, this is a fun new twist on that concept. Instead of growing seeds in a bag, grow your socks! Not only do the kids get a chance to watch and learn about sprouting seeds, but they get to run around and get dirty in the process! Talk about a win-win!
What you’ll need
This little science experiment is so easy! You don’t need any fancy equipment or gear at all. Everything you need can be found at home already. You’ll need:
- old pair of cotton socks
- plastic bags
- water
- tape
What to do
Instead of putting seeds into the bag, this project encourages kids to get outside, explore the area and get their socks as dirty as possible! Running around in socks is how they’ll collect the seeds – directly from nature. Depending on your location and where you want to do your “collecting,” you can decide whether to let the kids just wear socks or whether you want to put the socks over their shoes. If you’re just running around your yard or neighborhood, I suggest the former. If you want to take a long hike, I’d suggest the latter. Both are pretty darn fun for kids!
Start by having the kids put on a pair of old socks (on their feet or over shoes). Next, since you want the seeds to stick, get the socks wet. Have the kids step in a bucket of water or just spray their feet with the hose. Once their socks are wet, set the kids loose!
Encourage them to explore wooded areas, under trees and bushes and other low traffic areas. Make sure they squish their feet into the ground to pick up as many seeds as possible. Step on dandelions, shuffle through fallen leaves, walk gently through the garden. Finally, have them find a muddy area to squish their feet in! This will pick up a bit of dirt to help the seeds grow.
When the socks are nice and filthy, take them off and place each one in a plastic bag. Tape the plastic bag to a window that gets a good amount of daily sunlight. If the socks feel dry, add a small amount of water. Now all you have to do is wait!
When they’ll sprout
Within a few days, you should notice some sprouting. By two weeks, your socks should have some serious blooms. This is about the peak for growing seeds, so if you have nothing after two weeks, try again in a new location.
If at first you don’t succeed, try try again. This was our second attempt at growing socks. The first time didn’t take; possibly because we were exploring close to a creek and the kids kept getting in the water and probably washing all the seeds away! This second time was successful. The kids stayed in our cul-de-sac and just ran through our neighbors’ yards. Three of four the socks sprouted.
Grow your socks
Growing your socks is such a fun and easy science project for kids. It teaches them all about germination and what plants need to grow. You can experiment by growing socks from various locations to see the differences in the types of plants you get. If you want to go a step further, try identifying the sprouts you’re growing and figure out what each plant will look like when fully grown.
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