Seed storage box

Activity

Seeds should be stored in a cold, dry place for maximum shelf life. Make a protective storage box and sort seed packets according to the month the seeds should be sown.

  • Estimated time: 30 minutes
  • Location: Outdoors & Indoors
  • School term: All year round
  • Level of experience: No experience needed
  • Subject(s): English, Science, Art&DT

Learning objectives

  • Decorate and personalise a useful object
  • Learn when certain crops should be sown and sort them into calendar months

Essential background information

Preparation

Ask the pupils where and how the seeds for your school garden are currently stored. Do they think this is a good environment to keep the seeds in?

Is there an organised system for when to sow the seeds? This is a good activity for key stage 1 pupils to design.

Equipment

  • Various packets of seeds
  • A sturdy box such as a biscuit tin or recycled plastic container that can be closed to exclude moisture
  • Seed catalogues
  • Scissors and glue
  • 12 card dividers with the months of the year written on them

Step by step

  1. Make a seed storage box by decorating a container with flowers and vegetable pictures cut out from an old seed catalogue or gardening magazine.
  2. Introduce the concept that we buy packets of seeds from a garden centre and ask what kind of information we can gain by reading the information on the seed packet.
  3. Divide the packets up equally and ask each child to find out which month(s) of the year the seeds should be sown.
  4. Make a filing system with cards and file your seed packets according to the date they will be sown outside.
  5. Discuss your findings and why certain months are busy/quiet in relation to seed sowing.
  6. Write instructions which describes how seeds should be stored and attach them to the lid of the box.

Hints & tips

  • Collect silica gel sachets and add these to the seed storage box to absorb excess moisture.
  • As long as the box is sealed it can be stored in the fridge.
  • Explain that seeds can be collected from the garden, dried and saved for the following year. See our Tips on saving your own seeds and How to make an origami seed packet to put your collected seeds in. 
  • Use this activity as part of Supermarket Sweep class growing topic.

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