The Prep for Primary class at our Sai Kung campus is a couple of weeks into their Rio de Vida enquiry-based learning project. A part of this topic is looking at Brazil’s natural habitat, and avocadoes are an exotic example of the tasty fruits native to Brazil.

The Crickets class has been learning about avocado seed germination and the process of plants growing. They have learnt the different parts of a plant and what a plant needs to grow. To continue this science project, they planted some more seeds to learn in-depth about photosynthesis. 

Educating children about plants can start at any age. It is an excellent activity that teaches patience, care, and understanding of our natural environments. 

Here are the simple steps of growing an avocado seed: 

1: First, take out the seed from an avocado. Make sure you eat all the delicious avocado inside!

2: Secondly, peel the first layer of the seed and wash thoroughly. 

3: Next wrap the seed in a damp paper towel or tissue and seal it in a zip-lock or air-tight bag. Keep it in a warm, sunny area, not outside.

4: Check every week for mould. If present, then rinse off and repeat step 3.

5: After 3-6 weeks, the seed should have visibly cracked, and a root is visible. 

6: When the root reaches 2″, find a container to balance the seed on the top. A pasta sauce jar works perfectly!

7: Fill the jar with water, ensuring it has access to sunlight. Now, watch your seed grow into a beautiful plant. 

The plant can then be transferred into a pot and soil or kept in water. The plant will hopefully grow avocadoes in 3 to 8 years.