What you need:
- flowers
- hammer
- plastic bag
- wooden board
- cotton fabric
- cardboard or wooden frame
What to do:
- Take a walk outside with your child and collect colorful weeds or flowers. Gather a few leaves or blades of grass, too.
- Cut a piece of white cotton — an old T-shirt works best — into a rectangle that measures about 8" x 11".
- Place the fabric square on top of a wooden board. This keeps the fabric from tearing when hit by the hammer.
- Invite your child to place a flower or a few petals upside down on the material. Cover with a clear plastic bag so your child can see the flower. Under close supervision, let your child pound the flower with the hammer.
- After the flower is smashed, remove the plastic bag and scrape off the flower remnants. When you're finished, you should see a distinct impression of the flower on the fabric. Experiment with different types of flowers and petals for a variety of colors. Let your child place them in a random pattern and smash them with the hammer.
- When she is satisfied with the number of flowers she's smashed, frame the fabric. Embroidery hoops work well since they automatically stretch and frame the fabric. Hang the finished creation on the wall so that you and your child can enjoy the flowers all year long.
Learning Benefits:
- cause and effect
- awareness of colors and shapes
- safety awareness