Simple 4-Week Plant Diary

4-Week Plant Diary

The 4-week plant diary is a structured observational activity designed to help children understand the basic needs and growth cycle of plants through hands-on learning. Each pupil is given a plant (such as a bean, sunflower, or cress seed) to care for and observe over a four-week period.

Objectives:
To observe and record changes in plant growth over time
To learn about what plants need to survive (light, water, soil, and care)

Week 1:

Planting the seed
Recording the initial set-up: type of seed, date planted, description of pot/soil used
Predicting what the plant might look like after one week

Week 2–4:

Weekly observations, including height measurements, colour changes, and leaf development. Drawing the plant and labelling changes.

Noting any challenges or changes in conditions (e.g. moved to a sunnier spot, more/less water)

Comparing growth with classmates’ plants

At the end of the four weeks, pupils reflect on the plant’s development and discuss what they learned, including what helped or hindered the plant’s growth. This diary supports early scientific inquiry and encourages children to take pride in nurturing living things.