Seed Dispersal

This experiment uses real seeds and household items to model four main methods of seed dispersal: wind, water, animals, and mechanical bursting. Students test how different seeds travel and connect adaptations to plant survival strategies.

1. Collect a variety of dried seeds and pods (such as dandelion, burdock, acorn, milkweed, and thistle).
2. Observe the seeds and note their structures (fluff, wings, spikes, pods).
3. Test wind dispersal by blowing lightweight seeds with a fan or hair dryer.
4. Test water dispersal by placing seeds in bowls of water and seeing which float or sink.
5. Test animal dispersal by pressing sticky seeds into painter’s tape and sticking them to fabric or skin.
6. Test mechanical dispersal by gently pressing or twisting open dried pods to see seeds pop out.
7. Record observations and compare dispersal strategies.

Seed dispersal - TheParklands1:

📄 Seed Dispersal Experiment for Kids - Little Bins for Little Hands: https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/seed-dispersal-experiment-for-kids/

• Create a seed scavenger hunt outdoors to collect local examples of dispersal.
• Build a model wind-dispersal system with coffee filters, string, and tape.
• Slice open fruits like apples or cucumbers to count and compare seeds.
• Make a chart or Venn diagram sorting seeds by dispersal type.

• Handle scissors carefully when cutting tape or pods.
• Be cautious with small seeds around young children (choking hazard).
• Use a hair dryer on a low setting to avoid burns or blowing debris into eyes.
• Wash hands after handling seeds, especially if using wild plants.

• Why is it important for seeds to disperse away from the parent plant? (To reduce competition for light, water, and nutrients.)
• Which type of dispersal would work best in a windy environment? (Wind dispersal, such as dandelions or maple helicopters.)
• How do animals help plants spread seeds? (Seeds stick to fur or are eaten and later excreted.)
• Which dispersal type seems most effective for producing many new plants? (Depends on the environment—wind spreads far, animals provide targeted dispersal, water carries seeds downstream.)