May Flower
The Flower Game
Take your child on a flower walk. Count how many flowers you see on your walk. Remember, don’t pick unless it is a “weed.” Some people say dandelions were brought from Europe for use in teas and salads. Because they are not native and very aggressive, many people consider them an invasive weed. It is a delicious weed though! Only taste dandelions that are not treated with chemicals! Examine the flower with your child. Look at it through a magnifying glass. Use words such as “delicately” and “gently” to describe how to touch the flower. What colors are the flowers? Can you find other things that are the same colors?
Find the Color
Tell your child, “I see blue. Can you find it?” As you count down from 10 to 0, your child must run to touch something that includes that color you have named.
Color Hunt
Take a piece of paper or roll the color cube. Search for something that is that color in nature. Remember, don’t pick! Once you have found that color, try another color.
Stepping Stones: Walking through the Garden
This is a version of the balance game “Twister.” You will need a package of paper plates and a little imagination. Scatter the plates around the floor so that the child can step on them. Now imagine the ground is a meadow of flowers. The plates are the garden stepping stones. Can you cross the garden without stepping on the “flowers?” (You may have to give the smallest children a hand the first few times you play.) Now pretend the plates are flowers and you are butterflies and bees. “Fly” from flower to flower to get nectar. When you step on the “flower” can you touch it?
Outdoor Fun
Take your toddler outside and discover all kinds of wonderful things.
Feel the wind in your hair
Feel the raindrops on your face
Smell a flower
Watch a butterfly
Hold a worm in your hand
Lie in the grass and look at the clouds
Squish your toes in the mud
Taste fresh fruits and vegetable from the garden
Sunflower seed “sandbox”
Fill a large container with sunflower seeds. Use cups, containers and spoons to fill and dump just like you would in a sandbox.
Flower Bottles
Clean out and empty plastic soda bottles. Place different parts of flowers into the bottle, potpourri works well. Fill about half way with potpourri, and then fill about 4/5 with baby oil. This will preserve the flowers. You may add glitter if you choose or a little food coloring. Seal the top of the bottle with a little hot glue and allow to dry. Shake it, roll it, use it as a bowling pin. Have fun!
Spring Flowers
Have your child make spring flowers by using pastel colored cupcake papers for the blossoms. Help them glue the papers to a piece of pastel paper. Draw stems and leaves if you wish.
Nature’s Palette
Choose a petal, blade of grass, or leaf from plants supplied. What color is it? What color do you think it will be if you rub it on a piece of paper? Try it. What happens with white petals? Blue? Etc.
How does Your Garden Grow?
Design your own garden by sticking small plastic flower with stems into clay or play dough. Should the daisies go next to the roses?
Oodles of Noodles
Thread pasta onto the pipe cleaners. Make jewelry, animals, people, whatever! Add leaves, flowers, shells, etc.
Pasta dye:
- 1⁄2 c rubbing alcohol
- Food coloring
- Dry pasta
- Newspaper
- Wax paper
Mix alcohol and food coloring in a bowl. Add small amounts of dry pasta to the liquid and gently mix. The larger the pasta, the longer it will take to absorb the color. Dry on newspapers covered with wax paper. Remind our child that this pasta is NOT for eating, only art projects.
Rose-colored Glasses
Use the colored cups as glasses. Hold the same color in each hand and look through like glasses. What do the trees look like? Now try two different colors, one on each eye. What do you see? What happens if you stack the glasses and look through them?
Stop and Smell the Roses Game
Select three different items that have a distinct odor, for example, an orange, a pickle, and lilacs. Suggest to your child that you both pretend to be bears on a walk.
Say, “Little bear, I smell something good.” Pretend to pick the orange from a tree. Take off some of the skin and let our tot smell it. Continue with the other two items that you have selected.
Say, “Little bear, let’s sit in the grass and smell these things again.” Finally, say to your little one, “Would you like to taste one of the things that we have smelled?”
“Flowers, Flowers” song (sung to the tune of “Frere Jacque”)
Flowers, flowers
Flowers, flowers
Everywhere
Here and there
We smell the pretty flowers
We pick the pretty flowers
See them here
See them there
Flower Role Play
Say the words as you and your child go through the motions:
Pretend that I’m a seed
I’m planted in the ground
Add lots of water and sunshine to me
Watch me slowly grow into a beautiful flower!
Walking through the garden what do I see/hear?
Walking through the garden what do I see? (make binoculars with hands)
I see flowers blooming all around me (hands on either side of your face)
Walking through the garden what do I see? (make binoculars with hands)
I see toads hopping all around me (hop, hop, hop)
Walking through the garden what do I see? (make binoculars with hands)
I see butterflies fluttering all around me (flutter, flutter, flutter- use your hands)
Walking through the garden what do I hear? (cup ear)
I hear bees buzzing all around me (buzz, buzz, buzz)
Walking through the garden what do I hear? (cup ear)
I hear birds chirping all around me (buzz, buzz, buzz)
Will You Read To Me?
Enjoy a story.
Fletcher and the Spring Time Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson
Mossy by Jan Brett
And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano
Activities provided by:
E Resources Group
2550 Stagecoach Road
Webster City, Iowa 50595-7375
Toddling on the Wild Side was supported by REAP-CEP
_ 0-1
✓ 1-2
✓ 2-3
_ 3-4
_ 4-5
_ 5-6
Category: Adult-Child
Time:
30 minutes
Season:
spring, summer, fall
Iowa Early Learning Standards:
1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.3, 4.2, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 7.3
Other Resources:
