Plants are essential for life on Earth. Learn more about how incredible plants are with these hands-on plant experiments and printable plant worksheets. You will find easy plant activities and ideas for plant science fair projects. We love do-able science experiments for kids!
Plant Science
Explore biology! Plant science or botany is a fun topic to teach to kids of all ages. Our plant experiments and projects would work well in a wide range of settings, from home to the classroom.
Learn about…
- How living things form part of systems.
- How energy flows through simple systems.
- Develop observational skills and practice making predictions.
- Understand the role of variables in measuring changes.
💡 The plant experiments below are great for elementary and middle school students. For our younger kiddos, check out our list of plant activities for preschoolers.
Plant Science Experiments
In addition to plant growth experiments, we offer a variety of fun activities for kids to explore plant science. Learn about capillary action, osmosis, respiration, transpiration, and more.
Acid Rain Experiment
What happens to plants when rain is acidic? Set up an easy acid rain project with this flowers in vinegar experiment. Explore what causes acid rain and what can be done about it.
Celery Experiment
This celery food coloring experiment is a great way to show how water travels through a plant.
Color Changing Flowers
Turn white flowers into all sorts of fun colors! Observe capillary action at work as water moves up the stem to the flower.
Flower Dissection
Grab some flowers and do a simple flower dissection to identify and name the parts of a flower. Pair it with our printable parts of a flower diagram.
Glowing Spinach
Transform the ordinary spinach that you eat into a glowing green mixture under ultraviolet light! Learn about the pigments in plants, particularly chlorophyll, and how certain pigments can absorb light at one wavelength and emit light at another, resulting in the observed glow.
How Do Plants Breathe?
This fun plant science experiment is a great way to teach kids about plant respiration. All you need are some green leaves and water to observe how plants breathe.
Iodine Starch Test
Use iodine to figure out what plants and foods have stored energy in the form of starch!
Leaf Chromatography
Have you ever wondered how leaves get their color? With this fun chromatography experiment, discover the hidden pigments in leaves. Chromatography is a technique used in chemistry that separates the components of a mixture into their individual parts.
💡 ALSO CHECK OUT: Marker Chromatography Experiment
Leaf Veins
Learn about how water travels through leaves with this simple science experiment. Watch what happens when you put leaves into a jar of colored water!
Mini Greenhouse
Enjoy the wonder of growing plants by making an easy mini greenhouse from plastic bottles. Includes suggestions for turning it into a plant growth experiment.
Photosynthesis Experiment with Chlorphyll
Plant Growth Experiment
Explore how light, water, and temperature affect plant growth. In what conditions do plants thrive?
Potato Osmosis Lab
Plant roots absorb water from the soil through osmosis. Learn about osmosis with this fun potato osmosis experiment. Investigate what happens to potatoes when you put them in a concentration of salt water and then pure water.
Plant Transpiration Experiment
Regrow Lettuce
Did you know that you can regrow certain vegetables from their stalks right on the kitchen counter? Give it a try!
Seed Germination Experiment
Investigate what factors affect the germination of seeds with a simple germination jar. Kids love being able to watch the growth of the seeds! Alternatively, you can germinate seeds in a bag.
Bonus Plant Activities & Worksheets
Biomes
Have you ever noticed that different plants live in different parts of the world? With this fun biomes lap book project, you can learn about what a biome is and see examples of biomes around the world.
Carbon Cycle
Plants are essential in the carbon cycle, which sustains life on earth. Find out what the carbon cycle is and how plants are involved.
Food Chain
Explore the vital role plants have as producers in the food chain. Includes printable food chain worksheets.
Honey Bee Life Cycle
Bees are essential pollinators for flowering plants. Find some fun facts about honey bees with this printable bee life cycle lapbook activity.
Life Cycle Of A Bean Plant
Learn about green bean plants with these fun and free printable life cycle of a bean plant worksheets! Learn more about how beans grow and learn about the stages of bean growth.
Life Cycle Of A Pine Tree
Learn about pine trees and how they differ from flowering plants with these printable tree life cycle worksheets.
Parts of a Flower
Learn about the parts of a flower and what they do with this fun printable parts of a flower diagram.
Parts of a Leaf
A fun and easy way to learn the parts of a leaf. Grab this printable leaf coloring page!
Photosynthesis Printable
How do plants get their food? Green plants make their own food and food for us through the process of photosynthesis. Use these printable worksheets to introduce the steps of photosynthesis to kids.
Plant Cells
Color in and label the parts of a plant cell as you explore what makes plant cells different to animal cells. Grab the free printable and make a 3d plant cell diorama. Use playdough to make this fun playdough plant cell model.
Plant Needs
From food to shelter, air to water, explore the basic needs of plants and animals with printable worksheets and fun, hands-on activities!
Pollinators
Explore the important role of pollinators in the reproduction of flowering plants with our printable pollinator activity guide.
Plant Science Fair Projects
Plant science projects are a fantastic way for kids to explore how plants grow, adapt, and survive! Whether in a classroom, homeschool, or a science club, plant experiments are great for observing real-world science in action.
🔎 Explore the scientific method here with free printables. Learn how to write a hypothesis and pick variables.
When creating a plant science project, kids will practice using the scientific method, including asking a question, making a hypothesis, testing with variables (like light, water, or soil types), and recording data. Plus, plant projects work well over days or weeks, helping kids track changes like plant growth, leaf color, or oxygen production during photosynthesis.
🔎 A fantastic science project is our Plant Growth Experiment here.
Some more favorite plant projects include:
- Seed germination experiments (observe how seeds sprout in different conditions)
- Plastic bottle greenhouse (create a mini-ecosystem for plant growth)
- Color-changing flowers or celery (see how plants transport water through stems)
- Photosynthesis experiments (observe chlorophyll or oxygen bubbles forming)
Want to turn these ideas into a show-stopping science fair project? Try these helpful resources to get started!
Printable Plant Activities Pack
Explore 20+ Plant Activities for Kids! 🌱 Looking for fun and educational plant-themed activities? This comprehensive Plant Activity Pack is perfect for early elementary school grades, providing hands-on learning experiences that fit any skill level! These activities are ideal for classroom and at-home learning, whether for fall or spring science lessons.
