Plant Nursery

Plant Nursery is a simulation activity allowing children to grow tomato plants in order to make as much money as possible! It teaches both science and basic business skills.

Plant Nursery will give children a deeper understanding about growing plants: as they need to: regularly water, feed and prune the plants, keep them warm; and give them a source of light. It is a simulation activity, so children will be able to see the results of their choices - the plants could wilt or not grow very well, or they could have a bountiful crop of tomatoes!

It can be used as an early business game, where children are trying to make a good profit! Children will need to make choices about whether it is better to heat the barn, prune or water the plants, whilst keeping an eye on the expected income!

This is a great way for children to work together to discuss and select their choices, and they can compete against other groups of children!

To grow the tomato plants, children must decide how best to look after the plants every day. On each day, children can drag an animated watering can, scissors or nutrient container over the plants to water, prune or feed the plants, or just do nothing. The blinds can be opened or closed, and, probably most importantly, the temperature can be adjusted.
Children will be able to see the effects of their choices: the plants will start growing, and in a number of days, small flowers and then tomatoes will appear on the plants. There will be an indication of the expected yield of tomatoes once the plants reach a certain size, and there will also be warnings shown about any problems.
Plant Nursery has a reporting option to enable children’s progress to be checked by a teacher or a parent, and has on-screen instructions, audio help and an option page to change the level of difficulty. It works in English and Spanish, which has the additional benefit of helping children with their second language!

Plant Nursery is part of a series of science apps from Storm Educational, whose apps and software have been widely used in schools and at home over many years. More information about Storm Educational is available on our website www.stormeducational.co.uk, or on twitter @stormeducational

This app is a fun, colourful way to teach kids about how to grow plants and where the food they eat comes from. It’s also a great junior business simulation game!


If schools have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards: Plant Nursery will help children achieve the grade band endpoint for LS2.A (Interdependent relationships in ecosystems) - plants depend on air, water, minerals (in the soil), and light to grow and LS2.C (Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience) for Grade 2, knowing that when plants get too hot or too cold, or if they cannot find enough food, water they may die.