Six Seed Trail Mix
Six Seed Trail Mix
Make a good snack while thinking about plant parts, especially seeds, and perhaps doing some seed math in the process!
20 minutes, Ages 5+
Ingredients:
A variety of edible seeds, roasted or raw, such as: Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Almonds, Walnuts, Peanuts (check for allergies if working with kids you don't know)
Coconut (in flaked or shredded form)
Raisins (they have seeds in them!)Chocolate chips, if desired (made from cocoa beans, which are seeds!)
Cereals (most are made of grains)
Directions:
We like to choose about 6 ingredients to set out for trail mix making. Put each ingredient in a separate bowl, with a spoon in each bowl for scooping.
Provide each participant with a cup (larger than you need for a serving of trail mix, so there is room to shake up the trail mix with a hand placed over the top of the cup).
Demonstrate how to scoop a spoonful or two of each ingredient into your cup, then put your hand over it and shake it up.
We like to encourage kids to put at least two ingredients in the cup, otherwise it’s not a “mix”. Depending on how many kids are participating, you may also need to set a limit such as “only two scoops of each ingredient”.
You can use this as a chance for kids to practice their math:
Grades K-1: Students can practice counting by adding 5 of each item to their cups, instead of scooping with a spoon
Grades 2-5: Students can practice counting by 2's, 3's, 4's or 5's as they add that number of items to their cup at each stop.
Grades 4-6: While enjoying their snacks, students can calculate the probability of picking a specific item from their cups i.e. "If I close my eyes and pull out a seed with tweezers (so as not to feel what type it is), there's a one-in-six chance that I'll get a walnut."
Seed Card