Seed Matching Game for Kids: Which Seed Grows Which Vegetable?

Two sheets: 13 seed cards and 13 vegetable cards. Cut them apart and match them on the table.

A white garden mailbox with an American robin on top and its door open, spilling seed packets and garden printables

Want the next free printable first?
My short garden email, Get the Dirt, comes Saturday mornings.
Sign Up for My Free Newsletter

How to Play the Seed Matching Game

Every seed in this game is real. I bought the packets at my garden center, spilled the seeds onto a white plate, and photographed each kind next to a quarter so children can see how big or tiny they are.

There are three ways to play, from little ones who are just learning vegetable names to children who want a real challenge.

Name It (ages 3 to 5): look at the vegetable and tap its name. A grown-up can read the names aloud, and the game says the name when your child gets it right.
Seed Match (ages 5 to 9): look at the seeds and pick the plant they grow into. After each match, you'll find a short fact about that seed.
Look-Alikes (seed experts): some seeds are hard to tell apart, like pumpkin and zucchini, or carrot and lettuce. Use the quarter to compare sizes.

A star counts when you get it right on the first try. Play again and try to beat your score.

Print the Seed Matching Cards

The game also works on the table, with no screen at all. Click "Print the Matching Cards" to print two sheets: 13 seed cards and 13 vegetable cards with their names.

Cut the cards apart on the dashed lines, then lay them face up and match each seed to its plant. Print on cardstock if you want the cards to last.

Turn it into a memory game: lay all 26 cards face down and take turns flipping two at a time to find a seed and its plant.

Free Vegetable Seed Chart

Want something to study before you play? This chart shows 12 garden vegetables, each one next to its seeds. The seeds are drawn larger than life, so children can see the stripes, ridges, and wrinkles up close.

Vegetables and their seeds chart: watermelon, carrots, radish, lettuce, corn, green beans, peas, pumpkin, beets, zucchini, tomatoes, and sunflowers, each shown with its seeds

Download the Seed Chart (PDF)

Hang it on the fridge or the classroom wall, then play the game and see how many seeds your child remembers. Compare the chart with the real seed photos in the game to see their true size.

Did you print something from this site?

I would love to hear about it! Tell me how you used your seed matching cards, crowns, or garlands, or send a photo if you have one.

Share Your Comment, Story, or Photo

A Seed Lesson for the Classroom

Three children at a classroom table playing a seed matching game, with bowls of carrot, sunflower, pumpkin, pea, radish, and corn seeds beside their vegetable cards, one girl looking through a magnifying glass

Teachers: this game fits right into a plant life cycle lesson for kindergarten through third grade. Put it on the classroom screen and let children take turns choosing the answer.

Bring a few packets of real seeds so children can hold them, compare sizes, and guess before they play. Big seeds like beans, peas, pumpkins, and sunflowers are the easiest for small hands.

Next, sprout a seed: try the bean in a jar experiment and watch a bean seed grow roots in a few days.
Then draw what happened: our free plant life cycle worksheets come in versions from preschool to 8th grade.
More printables by grade: see all our free gardening worksheets for kids.

From Seed to Garden

Every one of these seeds will grow in a home vegetable garden. Radishes are ready in about four weeks, while pumpkins and watermelons take most of the summer.

Let children choose a few seeds to plant this spring. Beans, peas, sunflowers, radishes, and pumpkins sprout quickly and are big enough for children to plant themselves. Our seed starting chart shows when to plant each one, and our easiest vegetables to grow list is a good place to start.

Saving seeds from your own garden? Make your own free printable seed packets to store them in and share them with friends.

Seed Matching Game Questions

Are these real seeds?: Yes. I photographed every seed myself on a white plate, with a quarter for size. The vegetable pictures are watercolor-style illustrations.
What ages is the seed matching game for?: Name It is for preschoolers, about ages 3 to 5. Seed Match is for about ages 5 to 9. Look-Alikes is a challenge for older children, and for grown-ups too.
Why do the watermelon seeds look brown instead of black?: Watermelon seeds that are dried for planting turn mottled brown. They are the same seeds you see in a ripe red slice.
Why can one beet seed grow more than one plant?: Each bumpy beet "seed" is really a little cluster of seeds stuck together. That's why gardeners thin beets after they sprout.
Can I play on a phone or tablet?: Yes. The game works on phones, tablets, and computers. For the printed cards, a computer connected to a printer works best.

More Free Garden Activities for Kids

Bean in a Jar Experiment Plant Life Cycle Worksheets Garden Scavenger Hunt Vegetable Picture Cards Garden Lacing Cards Paper Garden Craft Garden Coloring Books Free Worksheets for Kids