Patterns in the fruit bowl

What you need

• A pine cone
• A daisy or a sunflower head
• A pineapple or a strawberry
• Paper and a pencil

How to do it

1. 1

   Count the petals on several flowers and write each number down.

2. 2

   Count the spirals going one way round a pine cone, then the other way.

3. 3

   Write the numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and look for yours in the list.

4. 4

   Work out the rule that makes the next number.

5. 5

   Hunt the house and garden for one more thing that fits.

Try this next

• Pond dipping with a washing up bowl

  Scoop a little pond life into a shallow bowl, watch it closely, then put every creature back exactly where it came from.

• Puddle depth survey

  Measure the puddles on your street with a stick and a ruler, then predict which will vanish first.

• Make a rain gauge

  Turn a plastic bottle into a rain gauge, then keep a week of readings on the kitchen wall.