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How to Grow Mold on Fruit

Mold, a type of fungus, reproduces through spores that are present in the air and land on organic materials to grow. You can easily teach children the fundamentals of how mold forms and decomposes using a disposable plastic container and pieces of fresh fruit. This experiment allows children to witness the gradual growth of mold and the eventual decay that it causes, as the fruit will become mushy and distorted after the mold has taken over.

Things You'll Need

Small bowl
Fresh fruit pieces, your choice or assortment
Disposable plastic container(s), with lid
Label
Pen

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a small bowl with water. Ask the children to dip each piece of fruit into the water and shake off the excess. Damp, but not wet, fruit creates a more hospitable growing environment for the mold.
- 2
  Tell the children to put the moist fruit into the waiting plastic container(s). Arrange the fruit in one layer in the container so that it's easier to see the mold grow. Place the lid on the container and label it "Mold Experiment."
- 3
  Place the container in a cool dry place out of the children's reach, such as on a high shelf in the classroom. Take the container down each day so that the children can see how the mold progresses.
- 4
  Encourage the children each day to draw pictures of how the mold progresses on the fruit. Continue for up to two weeks, then throw away the container. The fruit will have reached its maximum point of molding at this time.

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