Part science project and part cute craft, potato sprout people are simply potatoes with toothpicks decorated like boots, hats and gloves poked inside! Once decorated, you can make the potatoes sprout by placing them in water.

Materials

• Potatoes
• Colorful cardstock paper
• Toothpicks
• Small glass of water
• Scissors
• Glue

Directions

1. Cut out shapes of shoes, gloves and hats from your card stock paper. Add as much or as little detail as you wish.
2. Glue the shoes, gloves and hats onto toothpicks using a small dab of glue.
3. Insert the toothpicks into the potato. Position each toothpick to sit on the rim of a glass or to prop the potato on the rim of the glass.
4. Fill a glass with water and sit your potato person so that the bottom is touching the water. This way your little friend will sprout!
5. Place your new little creations near a window so that they will have plenty of light to grow.

Caroline Gravino Urdaneta, a PBS Parents resident crafter, is a designer of creative family projects, tinkering painter and mother of four children.

Iowa PBS STEAM Activities and Crafts provided by PBS KIDS Parents.