Take a Seed Walk

When we think about seeds, we think about spring. Many plants and trees disperse their seed in the fall. The Project WILD activity, Seed Need, suggests a fun, easy way for kids to collect seeds. Wearing a large, old, wool sock over one shoe, students walk through a weedy area near the school. As they walk around, various seeds will stick to their socks.

Take a closer look at the seeds you collect. Set up a seed classification learning station (organize by color and shape characteristics) or have students create a seed journal.

A great extension to this activity is classifying the seeds by the ways they are dispersed. Many plants depend on animals to disperse their seeds. The seeds get caught on the animal’s fur and are carried on, similar to how the seeds stuck to the socks on the students’ shoes. For more information about how seeds are dispersed, check out the PLT activity, Have Seeds, Will Travel.

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Reading Connections
Here’s a list of books about seeds and how they are dispersed.

PreK – Grade 2
Carle, E. 1991. The Tiny Seed. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Downden, A.O. 1984. From Flower to Fruit. Thomas Y. Crowell Co.
Lauber, P. 1981. Seeds Pop-Stick-Glide. Crown Publishers, Inc.
Moncure, J.B. 1990. How Seeds Travel: Popguns and Parachutes. Child's World, Incorporated, The.
Pascoe, E. 2002. How & Why: Seeds Travel. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Robbins, K. 2005. Seeds. Atheneum.
Saunders-Smith, G. Seeds. 1998. Scholastic Library Publishing.

Grades 3-5
Anthony, J.A. 1997. Dandelion Seed. California: Dawn Publications.
Burns, D. 1996. Berries, Nuts, and Seeds. Northwood Press.
Hoff, M.K. 2004. Pollination. The Creative Company.
Overbeck, C. 1982. How Seeds Travel. Minneapolis: Lerner.