One of my favourite gardening activities to do with kids, is to grow a runner bean in a jar. Not only is it really easy, it’s actually really fascinating too. The clear glass of the jar allows you to see the bean seed explode into life and kids love staring and investigating the roots. Growing a bean in a jar is so easy and something kids can even do themselves.
Another great thing about this activity, is that it’s a great way of introducing children to the concept of growing your own food. Once the bean has started growing leaves and outgrown it’s jar, you simply plant it outside in the garden. Once the plant begins producing flowers and beans, children can pick and eat them themselves. Or, you can wait for the beans to develop and collect the beans to plant all over again!
I find that when my little boy is actively involved in growing an edible plant, he’s far more likely to actually try it himself. This is great as my son can be a bit of a fussy eater. I think it’s a sense of pride as well as a curiosity. The mystery of the vegetable is stripped back a little when children are involved in the growing of them and this makes them far more intrigued to try them!
Here is a step by step guide of how to grow a runner bean in a jar:
- Find yourself a tall, clear glass jar and some kitchen towel. Kitchen towel works better as it’s better at holding moisture!
- Fold and then soak the kitchen towel in water.
3. Fill the jar with the wet kitchen towel until it’s about halfway full.
4. Slot your runner bean down one side. Make sure the bean in resting against the wet kitchen towel.
Keep your bean on a sunny windowsill and make sure it doesn’t dry out! My little boy would check our bean daily for changes, but it took about a week before it started to do it’s magic! Once it gets going, it grows pretty fast, so be prepared for that!
I think you’ll agree, it’s pretty amazing once it gets going! Growing a runner bean in a jar is a great way of showing your children exactly how seeds work and grow. It was pretty great for myself too and I found myself staring at the roots for ages!
I’ve specifically grown runner beans but I think you could easily try this for other beans too. Broad beans, French beans, green beans… why not try a few different ones and see what results you get? It’s such a fun gardening activity for kids.
Let me know if you try it!
