There’s so much hidden magic that goes on underneath the soil, including how plant roots grow.
It’s great to be able to show kids what a plant looks like both above and below the ground so here’s a simple way to create a cross section view.
Try this experiment with your kids and watch their eyes light up!
What you’ll need:
- A medium sized clear glass or plastic jar.
- Potting mix
- Bean seeds.

What To Do:
Step 1: Take a medium sized clear glass or plastic jar and half fill it with potting mix.
Step 2: Drop around 3 bean seeds - such as Yates Dwarf Beans or Yates Broad Beans onto the mix and then cover with another 2 – 3 cm of mix. Beans are a great choice as the seeds are large and easy to see and handle.
Step 3: The closer you can place the seeds to the edge of the jar the easier it will be to see what happens.
Step 4: Give the mix a gentle mist with water (don’t overwater, as bean seeds can rot if too moist).
Step 5: Place the jar on a sunny windowsill and in 7-10 days roots and leaves will start to emerge. Kids can see the white roots growing longer and new leaves popping up. Magic beans!