For a lot of kids, biology might seem like the hardest subject. They find it hard to connect all the dots, mostly because the explanations they get are too complex for them to understand.
If your child is learning about plants and needs some help, this explanation of the plant life cycle for kids will help them. Tell them to sit tight, and remember to take notes!
What Is the Plant Life Cycle?
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If you think of humans and animals, you’ll realize that they all go through different stages in life. They get born, grow, live for a certain period, and they die. Well, the same can be said for plants as well.
Though their life cycle is different from that of humans and other animals, it still has recognizable stages that you can follow. Here are their names and descriptions.
Plant Life Cycle for Kids: Stages
Image source: Pinterest
1. The Seed
This plant life cycle for kids lesson starts with the seed. If you have ever seen seeds, you probably know that their surface is rather hard. This surface level is called the Outer Coat, and it serves to protect the insides.
On the inside of the plant, you can find the embryo. Put simply, the embryo is a tiny baby plant that will grow and develop if given the right conditions. The embryo has a root and some leaves as well. However, all of it is quite small at this stage.
Certain conditions need to be met for the seed to go into the next stage. These include a particular type of soil for the seed to grow in, a specific amount of water, and a unique temperature. Said conditions are different for each plant.
2. Germination
As soon as the seed has all that it needs to grow, it begins to sprout. This stage is also called germination. The embryo’s root begins to grow downwards, and tiny hairs start appearing on its surface. These hairs absorb water and minerals from the soil, which helps the plant grow.
3. The Seedling
A seedling is a tiny plant that you can see growing from a pot a few days or weeks after you put a seed in some soil and water it. The plant needs sunlight, which is why it bursts out and attempts to get as much of the sun’s rays to hit it as possible.
The process in which plants use sunlight, water, and minerals from the soil to create oxygen and energy is called photosynthesis. This process helps plants grow and develop correctly.
4. The Adult Plant
One way to tell that a plant is an adult is to check it for flowers. As soon as you spot any type of flower on a new plant, you can be sure that it has become mature. Besides flowers, all mature plants have leaves, roots, a stem, and, in the case of certain species, fruits.
Flowers are an extremely important part of every plant. Though many only notice their beauty and scent, flowers also have another essential purpose. Namely, they are the plant’s reproductive organs.
Flowers actually grow seeds, which, if you remember, are necessary to create all new plants. Flowers also have different components, including petals, sepals, pistils, stamen, and so on.
5. Pollination
For a flower to make seeds it needs to have pollen. Pollen is a fine dust that butterflies, bees, and other insects collect from flower stamens and spread around while flying. Apart from animals, the wind can also help disperse the pollen.
Once the pollen hits a pistil of a flower, the process of pollination (or growing a new seed) begins. If there is enough water and sunlight, the seed will quickly form and be ready to give birth to a new plant.
6. Dispersing the Seeds
The final stage in this plant life for kids lesson is seed dispersal. During this stage, different animals scatter the seeds around by accident. The seeds fall into the soil, and as soon as they get some water, they begin growing anew.
Apart from animals and insects, the wind can also help scatter the seeds around. The same is true for rain, especially if it is a heavy downpour. Whatever the case, the seeds fall onto the ground, which is enough for them to start developing.
The seeds will develop into new plants and go through the same stages up until they too start producing seeds of their own. And just like that, the cycle of life will continue and repeat itself over and over again.
