Looking for a simple science experiment that you can do at home with your kids?
Then this plant science experiment is really easy to set up and you and your children can observe how new life can grow from old.
So have a go at setting up a simple science to see a carrot top grow.
It is important to note that you will not grow a carrot from this experiment just the top leaves.
What You'll Find on This Page
Growing Carrots Tops
We have always loved this simple science experiment and even very young kids can get something out of it.
With older kids there are lots of possibilities so continue reading to see some of the ideas that we suggest doing around this activity.
Materials Needed for Carrot Top Science
- About an inch of the top of a carrot
- A shallow dish
- Water
How to Set Up Your Carrot Growth Experiment with the Kids
- Chop the top off a carrot.
- Place in a shallow dish.
- Add enough water to cover the base of the carrot stump.
- Monitor the water daily and water and observe it grow.
Experiment with Toddlers and Preschoolers
With young children, you can use this as a way of helping them learn a little about gardening.
Check out other resources for gardening with toddlers and preschoolers.
They can monitor the water, check that it has enough light and warmth and watching it grow.
This will help them learn responsibility.
You could also try starting a simple nature journal with them where they could draw the carrot as it grows.
Or like we did take a picture and stick it in a journal to show how the carrot is growing.
You could even turn it into a slide show video at the end to see the growth sped up.
Experiment with School Kids
With kids that are a little bit older, it's time to get more mathematical and scientific!
- Measure the growth of the carrot and plot it on a graph daily to see how quickly it grows.
- Document the growth with images and create your own video from it.
- Repeat the experiment with the carrot in different conditions - light/dark, water levels, inside a plastic bag, in the fridge etc...
More Simple Plant Experiments for Kids
- Investigate bulbs with this simple nature study
- Grow beans in a jar to see how roots work
- Explore how plants transport water up their stems with celery
Cerys Parker
Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, high school teacher and mum. Realising that life doesn't have to be put on hold and you don't just have to survive whilst the kids are young she shares ideas to inspire you to LIVE with the kids, with activities to do together, recipes to cook and enjoy and family travel to make memories to last a lifetime.
Emma @sciencesparks says
What a great idea!
Robyn says
I didn't realize you could do that with chopped off carrot tops! That is so cool- my boys would love to see that happen! thanks.
Roopa says
Love the idea of using carrot top to observe life and growth. Putti loves seeing the sprouts and I am sure will LOVE this one. Thanks for sharing!
Isil says
I love this experiment as you can observe the sprouts in a very short time.Great for little ones as they don't have to wait too much to see the sprouting 🙂
Robyn says
Nice idea of using a root crop to demonstrate that some thing alive can grow from a thing that seems to be dead.