Seed Search

© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.

Explore plants and seeds with your child. You can do this while playing outside, walking to the park or around the neighborhood, or on your way home from the grocery store.

Before your walk, cut open a piece of fruit (with seeds). Share it with your child.

• Point out the seeds. Talk about how the fruit you are eating started out as a seed.
• Then head out for your “seed search” walk. Bring a small bag along with you so your child can collect seeds.
• Look for plant parts that hold seeds such as, seed pods, acorns, fallen fruits, dandelions, maple tree “wings,” or chestnuts. Collect the seeds in your bag.

After your walk, or during another quiet time in your routine, empty your collection into the lid of a box. Explore the seeds together.

• Sort seeds by size, color, texture, etc. Have your child describe what is the same and what is different among the seeds.
• Research and learn more about the seed collection. Look at seed catalogs, online sites, or in books for more information.

On another day you may want to search for different plant parts such as leaves, roots, pods, or stems.