Change and Growth Project
By Emma Jayne Morgan
Spring is a great time to talk to children about change and growth. There are lots of different ways
to go about this but one way which will be sure to grab their attention is to investigate how foods
change over time if not refrigerated and how mould grows.
Children love anything “yucky” and, if investigated in a safe and hygienic way, they will be fascinat-
ed to watch how these different foods will change when left out to degrade. At the same time, it is
a great way to explore how things change over time and how to grow your very own mouldy
organism which feeds off the old food.
Most of us know that food becomes mouldy more quickly in the summer than in the winter when
it is colder. Food in refrigerators seems to keep longer than food left in the sun. Is this true? Does
temperature really affect the rate at which mould grows? Discuss this with the children and then
go on to allow them to investigate it for themselves.
Another interesting aspect to explore is which foods grow mould quicker, so this could be done in
two groups investigating different aspects of change and growth.
Risk Assessment:
Some people are allergic to mould; ask your doctor or parents. If this is the case, do not carry out
this experiment. Always wear gloves and a mask, wash your hands and don’t eat or drink whilst
you are investigating these materials
Objective:
To see what kind of food will get mouldy.
To see if these foods will get mouldy faster inside or outside the fridge.
Materials and Equipment:
Banana
Cheese
Milk
Bread
A cabinet to place one of each food in for a week
A fridge to place another of each food in for a week
Zip lock bags
Paper and pencil
Camera