
Grow · Wild and Tumble activity
Bean in a jar
Watch a bean wake up. See roots and shoots grow through the side of a jar.
*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day
Estimated time: 3 min to prepare · 5 min to set up · 2 min to tidy. Then check each day. Plus waiting time: two weeks. It's fine to stop early.
Before you start
What you’ll need
- A clear plastic cup or jar
- Kitchen roll
- A dried broad bean or runner bean
- A little water
Let's begin
Five simple steps
That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.
Scrunch kitchen roll into the cup.
- Little one leads
Your child slides the bean between the kitchen roll and the side of the cup.
Add a little water so the kitchen roll is damp, not soggy.
Pop it on a windowsill.
Check each morning. Root first, or shoot first?
That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.
If you enjoyed this
More little ideas like this.


Wildflower seed balls
Roll muddy seed balls, then throw them where you'd like flowers to grow.

Cress head friends
Plant cress in an eggshell and see it sprout in days.

