Pressed Flowers

Things you'll need for this activity

• Scissors
• Paper x 3 pages A4
• Heavy book
• Flowers
• Glue

What you'll learn in this activity 

Ages Appropriate for ages 3+

Purpose Nature provides us with so may colours, particularly during Spring time. Our gardens are full of color, the buzzing of bees and maybe even a butterfly. This activity enhances children’s appreciation of what grows in their garden, concepts of nature and extends their motor skills.

Let's play!

Follow these quick and easy steps to press your flower.

1. Choose a heavy book and open the book towards the back.
2. Place a piece of paper on each of the 2 open pages.
3. Go into your garden and find some fallen petals or cut some flowers using your scissors.
4. Ensuring that one piece of paper is under your flowers and one piece of paper is on top of your flowers, design your placement of flowers on your paper and close the book.
5. Place your book with your flowers in it on a shelf lying flat with other books on top of it—this pressure will help to flatten your flowers.
6. Leave your book on the shelf with the flowers in it for 7 days. 1. After 7 days you can open the book and discover the differences in how your flowers look and feel—they will be fragile so handle with care!
7. Using glue and your pressed flowers you can create a pasting on your third piece of paper. You could add to your picture by drawing insects, your house or family in our garden.

Talking together

Questions 

• What colours can you see in your garden?
• Do you know the names of those plants?

Extension

Research using google to look up the flowers and identify the plants in your garden.

We'd love to see your creations and home-based play! Share with us on Facebook at @yrfamilies #YarraRangesPlay

You can contact the YRC Family & Children’s Services team on 1300 368 333 or by email at earlyyears@yarraranges.vic.gov.au