Sowing seeds in supermarket packaging

Activity

Sow seeds in boxes, tins and jars to make a display of the plants and foods we eat growing in their packaging.

Learning objectives

Learn what foods look like when they are grown from seed
Learn what plants need to grow
Recycle packaging

Preparation

Collect the packaging beforehand.
Ensure all containers have sufficient drainage to grow plants, e.g. tins will need to have holes punched in the base (adults should supervise or do this) and glass jars should have a layer of gravel at the bottom.

Equipment

Food packaging or containers, tins etc
Plastic plant pots
Compost and vermiculite
Insulating tape to protect from sharp edges
Gravel to fill bottom of glass containers or a hammer and nail to make holes
Seeds such as dried peas, pulses, popping corn, wheat and vegetable seeds

Step by step

Choose which seeds you will be sowing in relation to the supermarket packaging e.g. wheat for Special K box, popcorn for cornflakes box.
Fill the pot or container with compost and tap on the table to settle and level the compost.
Decide how many seeds you are going to sow depending on their size. Large seeds will need to be sown individually, use a dibber to make the hole and cover with compost. Smaller seeds will need to be sown on the surface of the compost and covered with a thin layer of sieved compost or vermiculite.
Record the date when the seeds were sown and the name of the plant. You may need to prick them out at a later date.
Water carefully and place on a warm sunny window ledge or in a propagator if the room is cold or in the greenhouse.
When the seeds have grown make a nice display in the classroom showing all the different foods you have grown.

Hints & tips

If using cardboard packaging, sow the seeds into plastic plant pots and insert into the containers for the final display.
Use this activity as part of Supermarket Sweep class growing topic

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