Lets Grow Living Necklaces

Here is a twist on planting seeds.  Make a "living necklace" you can wear or display around your home.   This activity is ideal for introducing the stages of plant growth and development. 

Please enjoy this engaging and educational video to learn all about seed germination, and how to grow a living necklace:

Grade Level: K-5

Time: 30 Minutes, 15 days until plant is ready for soil. 

   

Supplies To Grow a Living Necklace

1. Jewelry bags or small plastic bag
2. Yarn or any kind of string – 30” length 
3. Cotton ball, small piece of tissue or toilet paper 
4. Kidney/black bean seed but any kind of seed will do.
5. Water

Vocabulary 

Germination: the process in which a seed or spore emerges after a period of dormancy under the right conditions. 

Directions: 

1) Dip cotton ball in water and gently squeeze out the excess moisture so it is not dripping. Flatten it like a pancake or tortilla.

2) Place the bean seed in the middle of the damp cotton ball and wrap the cotton around the bean seed.

3) Place the seed and cotton ball in the jewelry bag and seal tight. 

4) Thread a piece of yarn through the hole at the top of the bag, and tie the ends to make the necklace.

5) Each student may wear their “living necklace” home or keep them in their classroom for observation. 

6) The seed will sprout in three to five days. 

7) After three days, open the bag to allow the seedling to get oxygen and add a little water. You can either plant the seed in soil at this point, or it can live for about two more weeks on the cotton ball, as long as it is provided with water and oxygen.

 8) Share a video of your living necklace in the comments of our blog.

What does a seed need to germinate? 

A seed is alive! It needs water, soil (or cotton in this case to hold the moisture), the appropriate temperature, air or carbon dioxide.

Hypothesize and Discuss what environmental conditions affect germination. 

1. Where will seeds will germinate best?
   (a sunny window, dark corner, warm place, cold place).   
2. Place seed bags in the areas proposed, and record your hypothesis, monitor seed germination, and draw daily progress or seed anatomy (roots, root hairs, cotyledons, etc.).  
3.  Discuss what a plant needs after germination and grow a crop of beans. The bean seedlings can be planted in soil, be grown and finally harvested. The harvested beans can be eaten fresh (green) or dried. The dried beans can also be planted to grow another generation of bean plants. 
4. Discuss how humans use plants. Humans use plants as food for people and animals, clothing, medicines, housing, the control of soil erosion, aesthetics, etc.