Crafting with kids: Turn a pop bottle into a greenhouse

Don't throw away that bottle- make it green!

This idea is so simple, but it will let your kids watch a seed growing close up.  Although there are more complicated versions of the pop bottle greenhouse, it is not necessary to do much work for this to work.  My daughter did this in her preschool and had a lot of success.

The instructions are short and sweet. 

1.  Find a pop bottle, preferably with a large mouth (sport drink bottles work particularly well).  Wash it out and remove the label.

2.  Fill the bottle about half way with dirt or potting soil.

3.  Drop in one or two pea seeds or other interesting plant seeds, like a flowering vine or herbs.

4.  Spoon in a layer of dirt to cover the seeds.

5.  Water very lightly. 

6.  Place in a sunny spot in the window.

The bottle itself will act as a greenhouse, keeping moisture in.  This means that very little water will be needed, although some water will be needed occasionally.  Make sure the dirt is moist, but don't overwater.  When the seeds germinate, the growth process is all visible.  The roots can be seen as the stretch downward and the green sprouts reach upward.  It is a simple but satisfying activity, and results can usually be seen very quickly.

If you would like to do a slightly more complicated version of this activity, you can use a 2 liter bottle and cut the top off, to allow better access to the plants (see some tips here).  You can also cut the top off the bottle and invert it back into the bottle, to create a seed starter version without a lid (see instructions here ).

Want some other DIY fun?

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