Fun Photosynthesis Activities For You And Your Kids To Experiment With

We have all learned about photosynthesis in our science class about how the process of photosynthesis works but imagine how interesting it could have been had there been some practical photosynthesis activities to undertake.

Although it isn't that difficult to teach photosynthesis because the process is pretty simple, undertaking these fun activities will help children to take interest in the topic. Subjects like chemistry and biology often become quite bookish at times and stepping out in the open with an aim to learn practically helps.

Photosynthesis is nothing but a process or a chemical reaction by which plants utilize the naturally available sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide and produce energy for themselves in the form of sugar along with oxygen.

The process of photosynthesis undertaken by a plant isn't only relevant to its survival, photosynthesis is an integral part of the food chain of the environment. After the process of photosynthesis, the energy produced by plants is used in their growth and development.

This plant is then either consumed by herbivorous animals or by humans directly.

The process of photosynthesis taught at school might seem very simple but there are a lot of reactions that take place within the plant cells which ultimately lead to energy and oxygen production. Within the plant cells, the water is converted into oxygen and the carbon dioxide is converted into glucose.

The sunlight absorbed by plant cells earlier helps in the entire process.

Some of you might have seen an experiment where hiding a particular part of the leaf of one plant from sunlight makes it lose its green color but the other half which is exposed to sunlight retains the green color, but why does this happen?

Well, it is due to the light-absorbing pigment chlorophyll present in the leaves. Chlorophyll is responsible for absorbing the energy from heat waves and also providing a green color to the leaves of the plant.

Let us now look at some fun science activities to better understand photosynthesis which can further develop your interest in the subject of biology at school.

If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about animal and plant cell diagrams and animal research for kids here on Kidadl?

How do you teach photosynthesis in a fun way?

The process of photosynthesis is an important milestone in science.

When a child begins to learn about science in general and biology in particular, they should clearly understand the concept of photosynthesis to avoid any confusion.

There are indeed a couple of activities your child can undertake at home to theoretically, as well as, practically understand the concept of photosynthesis in a plant and develop some interest in the field of science.

It has been seen in the past that undertaking practical studies in science have helped children in taking a liking towards the subject.

Making diagrams depicting the process of photosynthesis is a good way of teaching photosynthesis in a fun way. A child can draw some plants first of all along with a sun on top showing the main elements involved in the process of photosynthesis.

The next step in photosynthesis is the function of water.

Children can either draw the roots soaking water from the ground or little raindrops from the sky to symbolize the intake of water by the plants during photosynthesis.

Carbon dioxide is the only remaining element now needed for photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is present naturally in the atmosphere, and you can just write the word 'carbon dioxide' and use an arrow to signal its intake by plants.

All the required inputs of photosynthesis are done, now your child needs to signal the output of oxygen and energy in the form of glucose. Similar to carbon dioxide, oxygen is released into the environment by plants as the process of photosynthesis finishes.

You can signal this by writing the word 'oxygen' and then arrows to signal its release away from the plants.

The production of energy in the form of glucose can be depicted by drawing a sugar cube near the leaves or the root of the plant.

This entire diagram will help your child remember and understand the process of photosynthesis without doubt. Although it is important that you explain the entire process of photosynthesis while your child draws it, this is an effective but fun way of teaching photosynthesis to children.

There is another activity that can be undertaken for teaching photosynthesis, and this one is more practical than the previous one and will also help your child connect with earth science simultaneously. The first step is find aluminum foil, a pair of scissors, and some paper clips.

Now go to your garden or to the park and choose a shrub or a small plant.

Now cut the aluminum foil into small pieces and wrap them around different leaves of the plant and then secure them with paper clips.

Make sure that some leaves are covered and some uncovered. The final step is to place the pot in a place that receives sunlight and then wait for a couple of days.

You will then notice that the portion of the leaf that was covered with the foil is no longer green in color as it could not perform photosynthesis and has thus lost its color owing to the absence of chlorophyll. However, the leaf which wasn't covered is still perfectly green.

This is another activity involving just one plant which can help your child learn about a plant's leaves performing photosynthesis and the importance of sunlight for plants to make their own food.

What are the necessary activities for photosynthesis?

The process of photosynthesis isn't very complicated to understand, We cannot see it happening with our naked eyes but it is important for human survival in multiple ways. It is a physio-chemical activity as light energy is used to carry out the chemical reactions which help in the process of photosynthesis and also respiration by the release of oxygen.

The necessary items for photosynthesis are naturally available in the environment. Plants only require sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and chlorophyll to carry out the activity of photosynthesis.

The first necessary step is for plants to absorb the sunlight via chlorophyll and store it in the designated cells.

Next, plants need to soak in water from the soil and then consume carbon dioxide naturally available in the environment. These are the necessary steps, the rest are all chain reactions that take place and then there is further release of the oxygen in the atmosphere along with the energy in the form of glucose.

What makes photosynthesis interesting?

Photosynthesis is a very interesting process as it doesn't only produce energy in the form of glucose for the plant. It performs some other functions as well and at the same time, the way the entire process takes place makes it all the more interesting. Puzzles and printable diagrams can help kids enjoy the learning process. 

The glucose produced only provides energy to the plant, whereas, in reality, plants use glucose in the form of a building block to build starch for future energy storage. At the same time, it uses the cellulose produced to build other structures.

Did you know that the process of photosynthesis is the exact opposite of the process of cellular respiration in plants? Photosynthesis employs carbon dioxide and water in order to turn them into glucose and oxygen.

On the other hand, cellular respiration uses glucose and oxygen in order to release carbon dioxide, water, and energy. All these facts make photosynthesis such an interesting aspect of science.

What is the first step in photosynthesis?

The process of photosynthesis involves a number of elements such as water, sunlight, carbon dioxide, and chlorophyll. However, the very first step of this process involves only sunlight and chlorophyll. Sunlight reaches the surface of leaves in the form of light waves which are then absorbed by the leaves.

'Absorption of light energy' is the term that signifies the first step of photosynthesis. It depicts the absorption of sunlight by the chlorophyll named pigment present in the leaves, and this is the very first step in the entire elaborate process of photosynthesis.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked this article about fun photosynthesis activities for you and your kids to experiment with, then why not take a look at animal and plant cells for kids, or are algae plants?