Life Sciences engagement resources: Plants

Explore a range of free, engaging resources that bring the fascinating world of plants, farming and food production to life. Whether you're a teacher looking for classroom activities, a parent supporting learning at home, or a scientist planning an outreach event, you'll find games, videos, activity packs and practical guides designed to inspire curiosity about plant science.

Our resources are organised by age group, making it easy to find activities suitable for primary and secondary learners. From discovering the hidden life beneath our feet to exploring plant genetics, climate change and sustainable agriculture, these materials encourage hands-on learning while highlighting how plant research is helping to address global challenges.

Primary (up to 12 years)

• Healthy Plants – How to grow your own crops quiz. Journey through the life of a plant—from seed to harvest—by answering fun, quiz-style questions. The game is designed for upper primary aged children. 
• Soil Safari Activity Pack. Get to know some of the groups of organisms that live in soil and the roles they perform for ecosystems. This activity pack is aimed at ages 3-13 years old.
• Plant microbiome to the rescue animation. Did you know that a single gram of healthy soil contains a million microorganisms, the microbiome, capable of interacting with plants? Discover how farmers littlest helpers can help plants to survive and thrive. Aimed at all ages. 
• Build a Track to Better Barley Island Instructions. This activity game requires the player to ‘edit’ barley DNA to cope with different challenges that impact plant health: heat, cold, stem-height, flooding, nutrient uptake, and disease resistance. Can your barley plant survive? Aimed at 5-9 years. 
• Guide: Run your own ‘How Plants Grow’ learning activity. This guide is aimed at scientists as a starting point for hosting a visit to your research laboratory or visiting a school. The activity is aimed at primary age pupils (P2-7, age 5 – 12) but could be adapted for secondary or by teachers to use themselves. 
• Guide: Run your own ‘Climate Change: An Obstacle for Everyone’ Activity. This is a how-to guide for setting up and running a learning activity to educate children about how climate change is impacting farming systems. The activity involves a series of obstacle courses designed to teach children how a farmer’s yield can be affected by climate change-induced extreme weather conditions. Aimed at all ages.
• Plant Power 2021 Information Boards and Associated Activities. Resources and activities covering topics including flighting plant pests and diseases, meiosis and recombination, DNA, Ethiopian Barley Collection, Commonwealth Potato Collection and the Honeyberry. 

Secondary (12 – 18 years)

• How can understanding plants and microorganisms help feed the world? Resource pack. Learn how is studying the interaction between plants and soil microbes could boost sustainable food production and help achieve global food security. This resource is aimed at secondary school pupils. 
• Potatoes from the past helping those today – video. Learn how the Commonwealth Potato Collection at the James Hutton Institute is helping scientists from the Hutton and University of Dundee to create new disease resistant potato varieties. Aimed at 12 years and above. Video includes audio described version. 
• Investigating barley growth and development – video. Barley is Scotland’s main cereal crop. It is used for animal feed, as well as in the brewing and malting industries, making it a vital part of our economy. Aimed at 12 years and above. Video includes audio described version. 
• Build-a-Barley: The Phenotype Challenge. An interactive card game designed to help children and families explore the science of plant breeding, with an ideal age range of 10-12 years. 
• Genetics Garden Information Boards. The Genetics Garden forms part of the Botanic Garden’s Garden of Evolution. Information boards are available for visitors to read covering the following topics: The Garden of Evolution, The Genetics Garden, Plant Genetics History, Gregor Mendal, and Barley.