Grass Caterpillar

Create your own caterpillar and watch it grow grassy hair.

This experiment lets you see how plants grow.

You will need:

• Grass seeds
• Old pair of thin tights or popsocks
• Scissors
• Elastic bands or hairbands
• Potting compost ( soil)
• Buttons / googly eyes
• Watering can
• Old tray or plate

Instructions:

1. Cut off one leg from the tights or take one popsock.
2. Mix a handful of grass seeds with several handfuls of soil (potting compost).
3. Pour the soil and grass seed mixture into the leg of the tights ( or one pop sock) and tie the leg closed at the open end. Cut off surplus tight.
4. Stretch three or four elastic bands around the caterpillar to divide it into sections and a head. 
5. Stick buttons or googly eyes on the head.
6. Put caterpillar on a tray or plate.

   7.  Put the caterpillar on a sunny window sill or outside in the garden

   8.  Water your caterpillar's body, checking every day that it stays damp.

   9. Watch the caterpillar's hair grow. Record how he looks each day.

Further Investigation:

Make three more caterpillars in total and try these tests to see what conditions seeds need to grow properly.

• Leave one on a sunny windowsill but do not water.
• Leave one in the dark and water regularly.
• Leave one in the dark and do not water.

What did you find out?

What has happened?

When the grass seeds have plenty of light, water and soil, they start to grow.

They grow roots and long green leaves, which look like furry hair.