This free plant growth journal for kids turns a pot of seeds into a real science project. Type your child's or class's name, pick a grade and a crop, and print a matching journal: a cover to color, a planting page with a prediction, a weather and water log, a plant height chart, a roots page, and a harvest page.
To save a PDF, choose Save as PDF as the printer in the print window. Your journal pages are below.
Fill in the boxes at the top. Type a name (one child, or a whole class), pick the grade, the crop, and the day you plan to plant. Every page of the journal fills in with that name and crop, plus the planting depth, spacing, and how long the seeds should take to sprout.
Check the harvest dates. The tool shows when your crop should be ready to pick. If school ends before then, choose a faster crop. Radishes and leaf lettuce are ready in about a month.
Print it, or save it as a PDF. Print one journal for each child, or save the PDF and print more later. The pages print in black and white, so they are easy on your printer ink.
Fill in a page each week. Plan on 4 to 8 weeks from planting day to harvest for most crops.
Each plant growth journal for kids has the same six pages, written for that age:
The last page is for the grown-up: a supply list, tips, a simple schedule, and how to set up a clear-cup root window.
Roots grow out of sight, so this is the best part for most kids. Line a clear plastic cup with a damp paper towel, fill the middle with crumpled paper towels, and tuck two or three bean seeds between the towel and the plastic, halfway down. In a few days, the children can watch the roots grow down and the stems grow up.
Bean seeds work best, even if your class is growing a different crop in the garden. For a full step-by-step guide and a printable bean journal, see our bean in a jar experiment.
A Tiny Seed Is a Miracle
Learning to grow and care for plants is such an important part of a child's life. It teaches so many important life lessons at a time when children are so eager to learn.
The miracle of watching a tiny seed sprout into a small plant with roots is something that many children, myself included, never forget.
Charlotte
Writing it down makes children look closely. A plant growth journal for kids gives them a reason to check on their plants every few days. They notice the first loop of stem pushing up, the day the true leaves open, and how fast a plant grows in warm weather.
It is real science. Kids make a prediction, collect data, make a graph, and check whether they were right. The same skills they will use in every science class.
Fast crops keep it exciting. Radishes sprout in less than a week and are ready to eat in about a month. Bush beans and peas grow tall enough to measure every few days.
Is this plant growth journal for kids free?
Yes. It is free for home, homeschool, and classroom use. There is nothing to sign up for.
Can I make one for my whole class?
Yes. Type your class name, such as Room 4, and print as many copies as you need. Or leave the name blank, and each child can write his or her own name.
Which crop is best for a classroom?
Bush beans are the easiest to measure and to see roots on. Radishes are the fastest. Leaf lettuce and peas like cool weather, so they are good for early spring.
Can we grow the plants indoors?
Yes. A sunny south window works for beans, radishes, and lettuce. Plants grown indoors may grow tall and thin, which is a good thing to write about in the journal!
My crop is not on the list.
Choose Another crop, type its name, and the journal leaves blanks to fill in from the seed packet.
Pair this plant growth journal for kids with these other free activities: