Flower DAZE
Art:
Flower Craft
Dye rice and different shapes of pasta using some rubbing alcohol and food coloring.  Let it dry.  Take those and have your children or students glue it on paper plates to make flowers.  You can even glue glitter or other things onto the flower.  Place pre-cut paper stem and leaves to put under the finished flower.


Paper Plate Daisy
Paper Plates
Yellow Paper
Paint
Glue
Give your children paper plates. Have them cut out petals from the yellow paper and then attach them around the paper plate.


Egg Cup Bluebells
Egg carton
Pipe cleaners
Paper leaves
Tempera paint
Cut the egg cups out of cardboard egg cartons. Then cut the cups into bluebell shapes and let the children paint them blue. When the paint has dried, make stems by inserting the ends of green pipe cleaners through the bottoms of the bluebells, then bending the pipe cleaners into cane shapes. Let the children poke holes in the ends of precut green construction paper leaves and thread them on their bluebell stems.

Handprint Flowers
On a large sheet of construction paper (12x18),  glue an orange construction paper circle for the center of the flower. Dip hand in yellow tempra paint and press on construction paper around circle overlapping slightly to make flower petals (fingers point outward). Cut and add green construction paper stem and leaves. 

Flower Jars
Let children place small amounts of clay in baby food jar lids. Give them small dried or silk flowers to arrange in the clay. Screw the lids to the jars. Tie a ribbon around the necks of the jars and let the children give them as a gift.

Handprint Flowers
Trace both of the child’s hands onto construction paper and have them cut them out.  Paint a craft stick green.  Curl the fingers of each hand onto a pencil forming the petals. Glue one hand to each side of the craft stick with the fingers curled outwards. Have the students decorate a white styrofoam cup using markers or crayons.  Stick a small ball of playdough into the bottom of each child’s cup.  Stick the stem of the flower into the playdough to keep it upright.  If you’d like, you can then stuff shredded green paper, Easter grass, dried grass, hay, or excelsior into the cup to cover the playdough.

Sunflowers
*Paper Plates *Construction Paper *Glue *Yellow Paint *Sunflower Seeds
Have children cut out several yellow petals and paste on small paper plate previously painted yellow. Fill center with sunflower seeds.

Cereal Flowers
Paper Plate *Green Construction Paper *Glue *Green Pipe Cleaners
Paste colorful cereals on paper plates in the shape of flowers. Add pipe cleaner stem and leaves cut out of construction paper.

Popcorn Flowers
*Popped Popcorn *Powder Tempera Paint *Green Construction Paper *Glue *Cardboard Pop popcorn.
Put handfuls of popcorn in plastic bag and add powdered tempura paint to each one. Shake well to distribute paint all over the popcorn Cut stems and leaves out of green construction paper and glue them to cardboard. Glue on the colored popcorn to make spring flowers.

Flower Printing
This makes very nice wrapping paper too:
Materials: Paper, Liquid tempera, Flowers (fresh), Shallow pans (pie
tin or cake pan)
Procedure:
1. Give each child a piece of paper.
2. Make three or four different colors of paint. Put into shallow
pans.
3. Let child gently dip a flower into paint.
4. Blot flower on paper. Gently here, also.
5. Repeat and repeat to see the light effect.

Hand Print Flowers
You will need: a paper plate for each child, green construction
paper, hand shape traced on paper, glue and paint.
Have the children trace their hands on paper about 5 - 7 times. Cut
out and paint color of choice. Paint the paper plate (it becomes
Centre of flower). Cut stem and leaves from green construction paper.
Have the children glue dry painted hands to outside of paper plate
(these become petals). Then glue stem and leaves. Let flower dry
completely and then display. These flowers make a welcomed addition
to any room.

Tulip Cups
Have child make a tulip or make for them (from construction paper). Glue the cut-out of tulip on the top of a tongue depressor. Cut a lit in the bottom of a styrofoam cup. Slit should be large enough for the tongue depressor to slide through. Pull the tongue depressor down far enough so you cannot see the flower in the "pot". Talk about how the flowers need sun and water to grow. As you talk about things that plants need, slowly push the tongue depressor up and the tulip will be "growing".

Flowers
Materials: crepe paper in many colors green and brown construction paper florist's wire paper towels scissors, tape, non-toxic glue
Directions: Twist the paper towel into a ball. Tape this to one end of a strip of wire. Cut out 2 ½" petals from crepe paper. Stick a small piece of tape near the bottom of the petal. Tape the petal on the wire, below the ball of paper towel. Place several petals on the wire until the flower is a big as you want it. Cut a long strip of green crepe paper. Wrap this strip around the wire from top to bottom. Cover the wire with the paper. Tape it so it cannot unravel. Cut leaves from the construction paper. Dab glue on leaves. Attach to the stem of the flower. Make sever different flowers. Use many colors. Make a bouquet. Place flowers in a vase.

Handprint Tulips
Paint palm and fingers (with or without thumb) any color.  Use finger to paint stem and leaves.

Coffee Filter Flowers
Have students color the coffee filter using washable  markers in springtime colors.  Caution them to not color too much in one place or they’ll make a hole in the filter.  (They don’t even have to color the whole filter, cut colors will run when wet.)  Place the filters on newspaper and spray gently  with water from a spray bottle.  The colors run and create a beautiful effect.  When dry, gather in the center and use a green pipecleaner to form a stem.  Fluff open.  Make a couple of leaf shapes and place a hole in them with a hole punch.  Thread the leaves onto the stem.

Daffodils
To make the daffodils, cut up paper egg cartons and have the children paint the individual cups yellow.  (That's the cup)  Do this a day or two in advance and let them dry.  Cut two circles approximately 4 inches in diameter out of bright yellow crepe paper or you could use a yellow muffin paper.  (That's the frill)  Then the children trace a large star onto yellow paper and cut it out.  It should be slightly large than the crepe paper circles.  (That's the star of course!) Use a sharp instrument to stick a hole in the middle of all 3 pieces.  Put a “knot” in one end of a green pipecleaner by rolling it into a small ball.  Thread the other end of the pipecleaner through the 3 pieces.  Cut out two green leaves from construction paper and thread onto the stem.  Put each student’s initials on the bottom of their flower.  Display all the flowers together in a single vase or two.  This will make a
beautiful springtime arrangement.

OR:

Use yellow paper cupcake liners; you can also use white and yellow ones if you choose.  Give the students a large piece of light blue construction paper.  Demonstrate how to draw a background scene for the daffodils.  Once they’ve completed their background scenes, have them glue 3 yellow or white cupcake liners at various heights across their paper.  Then they glue yellow cupcake liners inside the white/yellow ones.  Have them cut out 3 stems and 6 leaves from green construction paper.  Glue them onto the paper as well, slipping the top of the stems under the daffodil “head”.  If you’d like, you can have them add butterflies to the picture also.  If you have access to the Ellison die-cut, you can cut them out and just have the students glue them on OR you can have them fold them slightly in half and glue only the body of the butterfly on.  This will give the butterfly a 3D effect.  Some students may want to glue their butterfly onto the daffodil as if it’s sipping nectar.

Drama


Games:

Language:
Yellow Daffodils
Yellow, yellow daffodils
You’re dancing in the sun.
Yellow, yellow daffodils
You tell me spring has come.

Five Little Zinnias
Five little zinnias growing out side my door,
I picked one for Grandma, now there are four.
Four little zinnias, the prettiest I've seen,
I picked one for Grandpa, now there are three.
Three little zinnias, just a lovely few,
I picked one for Mommy, now there are two.
Two little zinnias reaching for the sun,
I picked one for Daddy, now there is one.
One little zinnia, a colorful little hero,
I picked it just for you, now there are zero!

I can hear a bluebird sing
And hear a robin call,
Yellow, yellow daffodils
I love you best of all.


Daffodil Poem
A little yellow cup.
A little yellow frill.
A little yellow star,
and that's a Daffodil!


Five Spring Flowers
The first one said, "We need rain to grow!"
The second one said, "Oh my, we need water!"
The third one said, "Yes, it is getting hotter!"
The fourth one said, "I see clouds in the sky."
The fifth one said, "I wonder why?"

Five Little Violets fingerplay
Five little violets growing by the door,
A bunny ate one and then there were four,
Four little violets smiling at me,
I picked one and then there were three.
Three little violets purple and blue,
Give one to a friend and then there are two.
Two little violets grow in the sun,
Pick one for jelly and then there is one.
One little violet grows all summer,
Making seeds to start another!

Then BOOM went the thunder
And ZAP went the lightning!
That springtime storm was really frightening!
But the flowers weren't worried -- no, no, no, no!
The rain helped them to grow, grow, GROW!Tiny blossom in the sun,
Soft and quiet, the only one.
Reaching up to sun and sky,
Stretching up its leaves so high.
Tiny flower, so bright and gay,
Fills my heart with joy today!

What a funny seed I found,
I wonder what would grow?
So I planted it in the ground,
And now I know!

Spring Sensations
I smell the flowers (Touch nose.)
I feel the showers (Cover head.)
I hear the bees (Cup ears.) I see new leaves (Point to eyes.)
And I dream (Close eyes.)
Of ice cream (Lick lips.) Yum!

This Is My Garden
This is my garden (place left hand, palm toward sky, in front of you)
I'll rake it with care (use first 3 crooked fingers of right hand to "rake" left palm)
Then some flower seeds I'll plant in there (with thumb and forefinger "pinchers" touch garden four times to plant seeds)
The sun will shine (right hand pinchers in air above "garden" twist wrist and open fingers)
The rain will fall (wiggle fingers of right hand down to garden)
And my garden will blossom and grow straight and tall (put right hand under left hand "garden" push right hand fingers up through left hand to grow)

Five Little Flowers
Five little flowers growing very tall, growing very tall, growing very tall!
Five little flowers growing very tall.
Along comes (the provider) and picks (child name) down.

Little Seeds
by Else Holmelund Minarik
Little seeds we sow in spring growing while the robins sing,
give us carrots, peas and beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, squash and greens.
And we pick them, one and all, through the summer, through the fall,
Winter comes, then spring, and then little seeds we sow again.

Math:


Music:
Planting Song
(Sung To: The Farmer In The Dell)
The farmer plants the seeds
The farmer plants the seeds
Hi, Ho and Cherry O
The farmer plants the seeds

The rain begins to fall....
The sun begins to shine....
The plants begin to grow.....
The buds all open up.....
The flowers smile at me......

Recipes: Snack Ideas


Recipes: Craft Ideas

Science
EZ Gardening
Have each student place a wet papertowel and a dried bean into a ziploc bag.  Tape to the inside of the window at the children’s level.  Make a similar  bag but tape it inside a dark closet or storage cabinet.  Have the students make predictions about what will happen. 

The students will be able to observe the bean sprouting and losing it’s seed coat.  Allow the students to compare/contrast the beans in the window with the bean in the darkness.  Give them
the opportunity to closely inspect their bean sprout, but be forewarned, this can be smelly. :)  Then allow the students to plant their bean sprouts and place them back in the sunshine for observation.

If appropriate, your students could keep a journal from the beginning of this project to the end.  They could write their predictions and observations in their journal.

Sensory















































Prop Box Ideas

Include the following collections of objects and materials for children to create, discover, and use for imaginary play. Store collections in boxes or baskets to be accessible at any time (indoors or outdoors) for children to enhance their dramatic play.
















Have you Tried...



as a class project plant a garden or flower pots to decorate front of school.

visit a greenhouse in your area to see many plants/trees or if you live in an area with orchards do that. go to a pick-your-own farm and pick the fruit/vegetable as a class

tissue paper flowers, colored water with carnations science
experiment(watch the plant "drink" the water) 'flower'

painting -use
silk flowers as paint brushes

if you have a sensory table, you can have potting soil in it with gardening tools and silk flowers in

another idea is to use only the painted paper egg carton cups and thread them onto the stem; add leaves and display in a vase.  You could also add a couple of ladybugs to each flower by hole punching red construction paper.  Have the students add 7 black dots with a fine point pen and then glueing them onto their flowers.  Turns out really cute.

make sunflowers that"grow"- make sunflower tops then take a long piece of construction paper and fold it in 3rds glue top to end of 'stem' when you pull up flower 'grows'

daffodils -use a yellow baking cup as center of flower have children draw outline of petals glue baking cup in center

read Eric Carle's the tiny seed

do seed collages

seed count (math)-glue seeds on cards have child match with corresponding number(definitely for older kids but can be changed to be math problems for example if a card has 4 seeds on it write x 2 on it and have the child match with corresponding answer


















































c. 2007 -2008

"If you would be known, and not know, vegetate in a village; If you would know, and not be known, live in a city."
  - Charles Caleb Colton
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SPRING DAZE

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