• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Start Here
  • Homeschooling
  • Shop
  • Member Log In
  • Cart

Gift of Curiosity

Sparking children's creativity and learning

  • Holidays
  • Seasons
  • Subject Areas
  • Themes
  • Age
Home
  • Blog
    • Holidays
    • Seasons
    • Subject Areas
    • Themes
    • Age
  • Start Here
  • Homeschool
  • Shop
  • Member Log In
  • Cart

Seed experiment #2: What temperature do seeds like?

2 Comments Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade

Sharing is caring - thank you for spreading the word!

2.2K shares
  • Share20
  • Twitter
  • Email

This post may contain affiliate ads at no cost to you. See my disclosures for more information.

After my kids and I sprouted seeds to see what the process entailed, we decided to carry out a series of seed experiments to learn more about seeds. Our seed experiments were designed to answer questions about what kinds of conditions seeds grow best in.

In a previous post I shared the results of our first seed experiment that asked the question: “Do seeds need light to grow?“

In this second experiment we addressed the question: “What temperature do seeds like?“

Note: For more seed activities your kids will love, see my Botany Unit Study page.

Teach kids about the needs of seeds with this seed experiment that answers the question: "What temperature do seeds like?" Part 2 in a series of seed experiments from Gift of Curiosity

When conducting a scientific experiment, it is important to set up your conditions so that the only difference between the conditions is related to what you want to test. Because we wanted to test how seeds grow in different temperatures, it was important that all of the growing conditions for our seeds be the same EXCEPT for the temperature.

We started with two plastic cups. We placed equal amounts of dirt in each cup, and labeled one cup “cold temperature” and one cup “room temperature.” To both cups we added three different seeds: a broccoli seed, a lettuce seed, and a pea seed. (The seeds were part of this set of heirloom seeds I purchased.)

Teach kids about the needs of seeds with this seed experiment that answers the question: "What temperature do seeds like?" Part 2 in a series of seed experiments from Gift of Curiosity

We placed the “cold temperature” cup in the produce drawer of our fridge. We placed the “room temperature” cup on our kitchen window sill.

Teach kids about the needs of seeds with this seed experiment that answers the question: "What temperature do seeds like?" Part 2 in a series of seed experiments from Gift of Curiosity

When the dirt grew dry, I added more water as needed. In the week we waited before checking on our seeds, I had to add more water to the “room temperature” cup several times. However, I never had to add more water to the “cold temperature” cup as it remained very wet throughout the experiment.

After one week, we compared how the seeds in our “cold temperature” and “room temperature” cups had grown.

In the cup that had been kept at a cold temperature (on the left in the picture below), none of the seeds had begun to sprout after one week. In the cup that had been kept at room temperature (on the right in the picture below), both the broccoli and the pea seeds had begun to sprout. The lettuce seed, for some reason, had not begun to sprout yet.

Teach kids about the needs of seeds with this seed experiment that answers the question: "What temperature do seeds like?" Part 2 in a series of seed experiments from Gift of Curiosity

So with this information, how would we answer our question “What temperature do seeds like?”

We learned that seeds seem to prefer the warmer temperature of a room rather than colder temperature of a fridge. Most likely, the cold temperature of the fridge makes the seeds believe it is still winter. Seeds seem to have a built in mechanism that makes them wait for warmer temperatures before sprouting, thereby giving the resulting plant the best chance at survival.

More resources for learning about seeds

More posts about seeds from Gift of Curiosity:

  • Books about seeds
  • Exploring seeds from packets
  • Exploring seeds from nature
  • Sprouting seeds
  • Seed medallions craft
  • Experiment: Do seeds need light to grow?
  • Experiment: Do seeds need air?
  • Experiment: Do seeds need their seed coat?
  • Experiment: What liquids do seeds like?


For more seed activities your kids will love, see my Botany Unit Study page and my Botany & Gardening Pinterest board.

Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Unit Ideas: Botany & Gardening on Pinterest.

Filed Under: Spring, Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, Botany, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, Science, Seeds

You May Also Enjoy These Posts

Water cycle demonstrationTable Top Letter Search {101 Ways to Teach the Alphabet}American flag suncatcher for 4th of July

Reader Interactions

2 Comments

  1. Andrea

    March 6, 2015 at 2:24 pm

    Wouldn’t the seeds in the fridge also be without light and fresh air? I wonder if there is another way to test temperature without added variables.

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie SG

      March 6, 2015 at 4:12 pm

      *smack forehead* Yes, you are absolutely right! That is a weakness in the design of our experiment, for sure, and one I failed to fully consider. They do get some light when the fridge opens and closes, but likely not enough to make a big difference.

      This design flaws not withstanding, if you compare the results of this experiment to the results of the experiment where we looked at whether seeds need light, the results were quite different. This suggests that temperature, not the lack of light, was the main reason the seeds did not sprout.

      Reply to this comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hey there, I’m Katie

I help parents who are transitioning into homeschooling shed old mindsets and embrace their homeschooling superpowers so they can create a homeschool they love where their children will thrive.

Learn more about me and what I do HERE.

Hands-On

Get 10 ideas for easy, hands-on activities you can do with your kids TODAY to make learning more fun.

Check out these related products in the shop!

Summer Printables Bundle

Insects Printables Bundle

Summer Color by Number

Ocean Printables Bundle

Shark Language and Math Packs

Shop All Resources

  • Contact
  • About Me

Copyright © 2022 Gift of Curiosity  •  All Rights Reserved  •  Privacy  •  Terms of Use  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs

Posting....