Materials
Styrofoam cups,
one per child
Black markers
Potting soil
Small hand shovels
or large spoons
Grass seeds
Small watering can
Water
Child safety
scissors
Instructions
What to do
1. Have the children
draw eyes,
a nose, and a
mouth on the
outside of the
cup.
2. When the children
have finished
drawing,
have them add
potting soil to
the cup, about
two-thirds full.
3. Invite the children to sprinkle grass seeds on top of the soil, then cover the seeds with a small
amount of soil.
4. When the seeds are covered, have the children pour a small amount of water into the cup.
5. After several days, when the grass grows and reaches a height of 1" or 2" (3 cm or 5 cm) above
the rim of the cup, ask the children to trim the grass with their scissors.
More to do
Dramatic play: Encourage the children to name the characters they have drawn on their cups
and create a story or play about them.
Science: Pull up a few of the blades of grass as they grow and let the children examine the root
systems. Explain how the seeds opened. Bring in a strip of sod grass for the children to examine
with magnifiers. Create a worm garden in a large plastic container. Keep the container in a dark
room or closet, then move it into the light; observe the worms as they move deeper into the soil
to avoid the light.
