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This experiment is so magical and fun, and it is super easy to set up! You may want to read the story Jack & the Beanstalk before setting up the experiment. We read it a few times during the time that our bean was growing. If you do not have a copy you can get one through my Amazon affiliate link here.
Materials Needed for this Experiment
- A jar
- Cotton balls
- A dry bean (we used a lima bean, but any bean variety will work)
- Water & a sunny window
Method
- Wet several cotton balls and place them in a jar. You want the cotton balls to be wet but not too saturated. Then wedge a bean between the cotton balls and up against the jar so that your child can easily observe the magic bean growing
- Have your child predict what will happen to the bean, and then observe the jar over the next several days. Add a few drops of water to the cotton balls as needed.
- The bean will begin to change fairly quickly. Our beanstalk was beginning to form after just one day
This is what our bean looked like after a few days
And after just one week
My girls loved checking on the beanstalk throughout the week, and they loved watching it grow!
As we grew our magic beanstalk we discussed seeds/beans, how plants grow, and what plants need to thrive. I asked Rosie and Jewel questions along the way like:
- Do you think our bean would grow if it didn't have water?
- Do you think the bean would grow if we put the jar in a closet away from sunlight?
- How do you think the bean is taking in the water from the cotton balls?
I loved hearing their answers and watching their minds come to understand the science behind plants. We also loved tying the story of Jack & the Beanstalk into our experiment. It was really fun to read about Jack and his magic beanstalk while growing our own "magic stalk"!
Other books that you could read & enjoy with your child while doing this activity:
(Click the photos to view the books)
Other Science experiments to try with your child:
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