Science · Colouring and writing worksheet
How a Seed Grows: Free KS1 Plant Life Cycle Worksheet
This free printable supports the Year 2 plants unit, where children observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants. The single line-art picture shows four clear stages of growth, from a hidden seed to a flowering plant, ready for your child to colour and talk through.
It pairs the colouring task with short writing prompts so children practise putting the stages in order and recall that plants need water, light and warmth to grow and stay healthy. The whole sheet prints neatly onto one A4 page.
How a Seed Grows
Free Science worksheet · Ages 6 to 7
Activity 1
Colour the four plant stages. Use brown for the soil, green for the stems and leaves, and a bright colour for the flower.
- Colour the soil brown along the bottom line.
- Colour all the stems and leaves green.
- Colour the flower on the last plant a bright colour.
- Colour the roots a paler brown so they stand out from the soil.
Activity 2
Look at the four stages, then answer the questions. Use the word bank to help you.
Which stage comes first, before anything grows above the soil?
What do we call the first small part that pushes up out of the soil?
What grows on top of the last, biggest plant?
Name one thing a plant needs to grow and stay healthy.
Write the four stages in the correct order, from first to last.
How a Seed Growsowee.worldAnswer key
- Which stage comes first, before anything grows above the soil? — seed
- What do we call the first small part that pushes up out of the soil? — shoot
- What grows on top of the last, biggest plant? — flower
- Name one thing a plant needs to grow and stay healthy. — water (or light, or warmth)
- Write the four stages in the correct order, from first to last. — seed, shoot, seedling, flower
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 seed kept in the dark, or one that is not watered, gives children a memorable first experience of fair testing without needing any specialist equipment.
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. There are no positioned labels to worry about, so younger writers can focus on ordering and short answers.
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 beautifully to the curriculum aim of observing and describing how plants change as they grow.
Frequently asked questions
What are the stages of how a seed grows for KS1?
At KS1 children usually learn a simple four-stage sequence: a seed in the soil, a shoot growing up while roots grow down, a young seedling with its first leaves, and finally a mature plant with flowers. This worksheet shows all four stages in order for ages 6 to 7.
What does a plant need to grow and stay healthy?
The Year 2 curriculum asks children to describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature (warmth) to grow and stay healthy. The writing prompts on this sheet help children recall these three things.
Is this worksheet free to print?
Yes. The worksheet is completely free to download and print, and it is designed to fit onto one A4 page so you can use it straight away at home or in the classroom.
What age and key stage is this worksheet for?
It is aimed at ages 6 to 7, which is Year 2 within Key Stage 1 in England. It also makes a good gentle recap for Year 3 children or a stretch activity for confident Year 1 children.
What is the difference between germination and growing?
Germination is the very first step, when a seed begins to sprout and a shoot and roots appear. Growing is the whole journey that follows, as the seedling develops leaves and eventually becomes a mature, flowering plant. The picture lets children see germination as the second stage in the row.
Curriculum links
- Science, Year 2, Plants: observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.
- Science, Year 2, Plants: find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.
- Science, Working Scientifically (KS1): observing closely, using simple equipment, and gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.
- Science, Year 1, Plants: identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including roots, stem, leaves and flowers (helpful prior knowledge).
Made by The Owee education team. Updated 02/06/2026. Free to print and share.
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