Growing Sprouts at Home

Sophia Pouring Seeds in Jar
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

Growing sprouts at home is fun, and is a great hands-on lesson for children. They get to grow their own food in a matter of days...which is rewarding for children who like to see the result of their work quickly.

To grow sprouts at home, simply use 2 tablespoons of sprouting seeds (from your local co-op or natural foods store) and place in a jar. In the picture to the right, Sophia is pouring her seeds into the jar.

Add water to the jar and rinse the seeds a couple of times. Then, place water in the jar, covering the seeds about an inch. The seeds need to soak in water for 8-12 hours in the dark.

Then for 2-3 days, they need to be rinsed 2-3 times per day. At that point, they are ready to grow. They should be kept away from light during the growing period.

Olivia rinsing her sprout seeds during class.

Soon we'll be eating sprouts on our sandwiches and salads.

This was one of several hands-on activities the girls did at a recent class I taught to homeschool children about seeds and agriculture.