What is a cress caterpillar and how do you grow one? This cress caterpillar plant growing activity from the Natural History Museum in London brings crafting fun and food education together, especially for younger kids.
Fast-growing garden cress or cress, “any of several plants of the mustard family (Brassicaceae),” contains potassium and vitamins A and C. It can be added to salads, sandwiches, and soups, or eaten like sprouts.
For this project, you’ll need eggshells, cress seeds, craft supplies, water, cotton balls, and salt dough. (Mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour with one cup of table salt and one cup of water.) Watch the video to see how they all go together.
The DIY tutorial is one of many activities demonstrated on the museum’s YouTube channel, including how to make a light trap and a pitfall trap.
Watch these related activities next:
• Party hacks: How to make paper, edible straws, & leafetti
• Seed Launching Backpack, a 3D-printed, pollinator-friendly invention
• How to make dandelion fritters and smoothies
• Electric Dough Playdate, a fun way for kids to experiment with circuits
• Erosion demonstration: Comparing grass, dead leaves, and soil
This Webby award-winning video collection exists to help teachers, librarians, and families spark kid wonder and curiosity. TKSST features smarter, more meaningful content than what's usually served up by YouTube's algorithms, and amplifies the creators who make that content.
Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.