Egg grass heads

Preparation:

• Save some eggshells: Soft boil some hens' eggs, crack them across the top and enjoy scooping out and eating the contents!
• Or, save up hens’ eggshells which have been cracked towards one end leaving two thirds of the shell intact.

What You Will Need:

• Eggshells
• Grass seed
• Other types of seed to experiment with, e.g. cress
• Potting mix (or compost)
• Teaspoons
• Water
• Permanent marker pens and/or stick on eyes and other imaginative decorations
• An egg carton or egg cups to hold the grass heads upright
• A clear plastic container big enough to fit the egg grass heads (optional, for use in hot conditions).

What to do

Preparing your egg grass head:

1. Use a teaspoon to gently position some potting mix inside the eggshell so that it is about three quarters full.
2. Sprinkle some grass seeds on top, then cover them with a thin layer of compost and gently firm it down.
   
3. Sit your egg in an egg carton or egg cup in a warm place inside where it gets some light.
4. At any stage draw a face on your eggshell using permanent felt pens, or apply stick-on eyes and other decorations.
5. Water to keep the compost damp, but be careful not to flood it.


   

Observations

1. Check each day to see if the grass has sprouted.
2. Measure how much the grass ‘hair’ grows each day.
3. Draw a picture of your grass head.
4. When tall enough, tie a 'ribbon' around its hair, or, give the grass a haircut with scissors, then see if it grows back.



Using your knowledge

Try creating some other 'grass heads' using different types of seeds such as cress, and using different types of containers rather than eggshells.

Hints and tips