Description
In late summer and early autumn all the plants produce seeds. The plants want their seeds to travel far and wide. Some seeds fly on the wind, some roll and bounce, some explode into the air and others hitch a ride on the fur of animals. Can you see any seeds whilst you’re out for a walk.? Look very carefully.
Step 1
Get a tub or a small bag to collect your seeds in. Find an area of long grass, a weedy area or a flower bed. Look very closely at the plants. Can you see any seeds? Sometimes they look fluffy or spikey or like little pips.
Step 2
Look for dandelion clocks, sticky burrs, acorns, conkers, sycamore seeds (helicopter seeds), fruit pips, tomato seeds, grass seeds or pine cones.
Step 3
Talk about how you think each type of seed manages to get away from its parent plant. Do animals eat them? Do they stick to your clothes? Do animals carry them away and bury them? Do they blow in the air?
What you need
A tub or bag to collect seeds in, a magnifying glass.
Try
Can you sort the seeds into different groups? Can you lay the seeds out on the floor and make an interesting picture or pattern with them?
Did you know?
The oak tree is helped to spread its acorn seeds by squirrels and jays. They gather them up in autumn and bury them under the ground as a food supply to eat during the winter. Often the animals forget where they buried the acorns, allowing these ones to grow and turn into new trees.
