Lesson 36 - Spring Flowers

Finally spring is here! And with the signs of the season; birds chirping, trees budding, flowers are finally making an appearance, waking up from winter’s sleep.

Our lesson today is all about recognizing the signs of spring. The children created tie-dye peonies. We began by using plain white coffee filters. The children colored three different sized filters with brightly colored markers. They paid particular attention to the edges, using as many different color combinations as possible. They worked hard, most choosing bright colors like reds yellows and pink, and some also choosing darker colors, which also looked unique and beautiful when completed.

When everything was colored, we nested all three filters and folded them once lengthwise. At the base we added a straw, which served as our stem. After securing the straw with tape, we folded the filters once again, left to right. We gathered the sheets and secured them at the bottom with tape to shape our flower. Next we fanned out our “petals”, and once our flower took shape, we used scissors to cut the innermost part of the flower in strips. This gave our peonies the lush foliage they are known for.

At the base of our flower we wrapped a pipe cleaner to cover the taped area and pinch in the bottom of our petals.

The final part of this creation was by far the most fun and most anticipated by everyone. We sprayed our peony petals with water, which allowed the colors to blend together, creating the beautiful tie-dyed look.

The children loved the finished product, many commenting on how great their flower smelled.

When creating these at home, you may wish to spritz the flower with a bit of sweet smelling perfume as a final touch.