Cress Head Pots
What you need
- two or three empty yoghurt pots
- cotton wool and a packet of cress seeds
- crayons or felt pens
- a little water in a jug
How to do it
- Let your child draw a face on the side of each pot: two eyes, a nose and a big mouth.
- Help them pull the cotton wool into soft pieces and press it into each pot, almost to the top.
- Pour a little water over the cotton wool until it's damp all over, then let them sprinkle a pinch of seeds on top, like hair.
- Stand the pots on a sunny windowsill and check them together every day, adding a splash of water when the cotton wool feels dry.
Why it matters
The seeds need water and light from them every day, and the faces they drew slowly grow green hair, which makes the wait something to watch.
What they're learning
- A face on a pot
- Eyes, a nose and a mouth, drawn round the side.
- Sprinkling
- A pinch between finger and thumb, spread out evenly.
- Things that grow
- Water, light and a few days of waiting.
What to look for
Notice them pressing the cotton wool with a finger to check whether it needs water.
A tip
Stand the pots on a saucer so water doesn't drip onto the windowsill. Cress grows in about a week and is safe to snip and eat once it's tall.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: make one pot together, with you drawing the face while they choose where the eyes go
Harder: put one pot on a sunny windowsill and one in a cupboard, and see which grows better
