How to Make a Newspaper Seed Pot with your Class
A really simple, cheap and fun activity to do with your class is a newspaper seed pot. Not only teaching children about growing seeds, but also the importance and how easy it is to recycle newspapers.
Each child can be tasked with bringing newspaper or recycled paper from home, and a used tin or jar.
How to Make a Newspaper Seed Pot with your Class
Materials:
- 1 sheet of newspaper per person
- a flat and firm-bottomed, solid cylinder for shaping the pot (eg jar, tin, candle
Steps to make newspaper seed pots:
- Lay a full sheet of black and white newspaper down on a flat surface.
- Fold it in half lengthwise (hot dog style) so that it is in a long, narrow shape
- Lay your cylinder shaper of choice on its side and place it along one edge of the lengthwise strip, about 2 inches/5cm from the bottom. Roll the newspaper around the cylinder so that the newspaper strip forms around itself at least once over.Push the loose ends of the newspaper onto the bottom of the cylinder shaper in a series of 3 triangle folds.
- Holding the seam of the newspaper strip together, place the project down on a flat surface and twist the cylinder shaper back and forth to firm down the folded base.
- Pull the cylinder out of the newspaper pocket so you have the newspaper pot in your hand.
- Though it may be a bit floppy at first, once the pot has been filled with soil, the bottom will be secure. When the seedling is ready to place into the ground, simply prepare the hole in the soil, open the base of the newspaper pot and plant. The newspaper will biodegrade naturally.