Activity for Kids Growing Sweet Potatoes in Glass Jars

Toothpicks

• Gather four to five toothpicks and a sweet potato. One at a time, place the toothpicks into the sweet potato so that it is is encircled by them. When choosing where to place the toothpicks, consider the height and size of the glass jar you'll be using as well as the potato. The toothpicks should be placed in the sweet potato so it will rest securely on the lip of the jar and not be prone to tipping over.

Growing Medium

• Select a jar and place the sweet potato inside of it. Choose a jar with a wide enough mouth to hold the sweet potato easily and without squishing it, such as a pickle or large jam jar. The toothpicks should rest on the edge of the jar, holding up the sweet potato so that its lower half doesn't touch the jar's bottom. Pour enough tap water into the jar to so that the bottom half of the sweet potato is submerged.

Growing Conditions

• Take the jar and place it in a sunny location that receives ample light, such as a window ledge. Like any plant, a sweet potato requires sunshine to grow and thrive and should receive several hours' worth each day. If placed in a shady area, the sweet potato may not grow at all so don't worry about overexposing it to sunshine as the more it gets, the better it will fare.

Maintenance and Transplantation

• Wait for roughly a week and the sweet potato should have roots emerging into the water from its bottom half and leafy vines poking through its top. To avoid gnats and flies, change the water in the jar on a weekly basis. Though it's possible to keep growing the sweet potato in the jar, it can be transplanted into a large pot of soil after removing the toothpicks. Bury the sweet potato in dirt, covering it so that only the vines are visible.