If you have only one specimen to study, just use a portion of the cap. The spores will fall on the paper, foil or glass, making a spore print pattern. Cover the cap with a paper cup or glass and leave for 2-24 hours, depending on the humidity and the freshness of the mushroom. Put a drop of water on the top of the cap to help release the spores.

Cut off the stem and place the cap, with the gills facing down, on a piece of aluminum foil, a white piece of paper, an index card or a glass microscope slide. Mushrooms with gills: The spores lie on the gill surface. Spore color can range from white to many other shades, including black.

In order to see a group of spores and also the color of the spores, we can make a spore print. On a mature mushroom, many thousands of spores grow on just one gill or on a small piece of a mushroom. You might also like to follow our Go Science Kids and Fun Science for Kids boards on Pinterest.Īnd, of course, you can always subscribe to our newsletter, to receive all our latest activities straight in your Inbox.Mushroom spores are very small and can only be seen individually with a microscope. We’ve got lots more ideas on our Nature Science Activities page, including: It’s making me keen to try making spore prints from different types of mushrooms, and maybe even make a mushroom spore print craft! Stay tuned! So far we’ve found it a fun and easy process. This only the second time we’ve tried making a spore print. On a mature mushroom, thousands of spores can grow on just one gill!ĭifferent mushrooms have different coloured spores, Mushroom spores can be white, brown, black, or many shades in between!įind more information about making spore prints from different types of mushrooms here. Mushroom spores are tiny, and can only be seen individually with a microscope. Most fungi reproduce by releasing tiny spores that then germinate (sprout) and grow into a new fungus. Fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. Mushrooms are part of a larger group of organisms known as fungi. (We haven’t tried this yet – but I’m super keen to do this next time!)ĭepending on how hot and humid your house was overnight, you might even be able to eat the rest of the mushroom! Mmmm, grilled mushroom on toast anyone? Place a drop of water on the spores and cover with a cover slip. Or if you’d rather study the spores under a microscope, you can scrape off some of the spores with a needle, and place the spores on a microscope slide. If you want to preserve your spore print, you can spray it with hairspray and let dry. I love the way you can clearly see the shape of the gills. Step 5: The next day, gently lift the box and the mushroom, and you should see a beautiful spore print on the paper underneath!Įach individual spore is incredibly teeny tiny, but on mass they look really impressive. Cover with an upside-down box, and set it aside somewhere where it won’t be disturbed.

Step 4: Add a few drops of water to the top of the mushroom cap to encourage the spores to drop. (We used regular printer paper, but I think slightly thicker paper would have been better. Step 3: Place the top section of the mushroom gill-side down on a piece of paper. Bumble Bee thought it was delicious! (Somehow food always tastes better when you’re playing with it, don’t you think?) If it’s a store-bought mushroom, see if your kids will snack on the off-cuts. This should also ensure that the stem is flush with the underside. Step 2: Cut off the lower portion of the mushroom, exposing the gills. Note: if you’re going to pick a wild mushroom, don’t eat it unless you know its not poisonous! And please wash your hands carefully afterwards. Step 1: Buy a mushroom that has its gills mostly protected (or if its gills are exposed, try to choose one that’s as fresh as possible). We decided to use a large field mushroom (also called portobella or open cap mushroom) since we’d bought one from the store earlier that day. You can actually make a spore print with any mushroom, and apparently different mushrooms have different coloured spores and create different patterns, which is so awesome.

Older kids might also like to try scraping off some spores and studying them under a microscope afterwards. Try this as a nature science activity for preschoolers or kindergarteners. My 4.5 year old daughter Bumble Bee thought this was the coolest thing ever!