How a Seed Grows: Free KS1 Plant Life Cycle Worksheet

What this worksheet covers

The picture shows four key stages in a plant's early life: a seed resting under the soil, a shoot pushing upwards while roots reach down, a young seedling with its first leaves, and a mature plant with a flower. Children colour each stage and then use the writing prompts to put the stages in the right order. The activity reinforces the idea that growth is a sequence of changes over time, which is a central observation in the KS1 plants topic. Because the stages sit on a shared soil line, children can also see which parts of the plant grow below the ground (roots) and which grow above it (shoot, stem, leaves and flower).

What plants need to grow

Alongside sequencing, the worksheet helps children recall the three things a plant needs to grow and stay healthy: water, light and a suitable temperature (warmth). These are exactly the conditions named in the National Curriculum for Year 2. A simple way to make this concrete at home or in class is to grow a fast germinating seed such as a bean or sunflower, water it regularly, place it on a sunny windowsill and keep it somewhere warm. Comparing it with a seedling kept in a dark cupboard, or one that is not watered, gives children a memorable first experience of fair testing without needing any specialist equipment. One common surprise: most seeds will sprout in the dark, because they carry their own food store, but the seedling then grows pale, thin and floppy. Seeds need water and warmth to start growing; the young plant needs light to stay healthy.

How to use it at home or in class

Begin by looking at the four stages together and asking your child what they think happens first, next and last. Encourage them to point to the seed and trace the order across the row before they write anything. As they colour, prompt them to choose sensible colours, such as brown soil, green stems and leaves, and a bright flower, which quietly builds observational vocabulary. The sheet works well as a standalone activity, as a follow-up to planting real seeds, or as a quick recap before moving on to the parts of a plant. Point out that the root comes out of the seed first, before any shoot appears: you can see a tiny root already starting in the first picture.

Extending the learning

Once children are confident with the sequence, you can stretch their thinking with a few open questions: what would happen to the plant if it had no water, or no light? Where does the seed get its energy from before its leaves can make food? You might also introduce the word germination for the moment the shoot first appears, and discuss that some plants grow from bulbs rather than seeds. For a longer project, keeping a simple growth diary with dated drawings links directly to the curriculum aim of observing and describing how plants change as they grow.

Frequently asked questions