Kids Activities Using Real Flowers

When flowers are in bloom, even now my daughter (who is 16 as I write this) can’t resist picking them, and little kids love playing with flowers, so let’s look at some activities you can do with real flowers.

The post that got me thinking about this was this cute petal potions activity from Mother Natured. My daughter loved making “fairy potions” with flowers, leaves and other things when she was little and she would have loved this activity, too. Related: flower soup from Our Playful Learning Journey.

I’ve probably shared this one before but there are so many dandelions in our yard that every year I’m tempted to make dandelion paint. Little Cooks Reading Books has the how to, and the author notes they first did this when her daughter was 15, so older kids can enjoy this one, too.

You can also paint using flowers as your paintbrush, which is a classic activity that’s a lot of fun and can be sort of stamping and sort of painting. Check out some ideas from Sugar Spice and Glitter.

Making a suncatcher or other art using clear peel and stick paper is a classic activity to do with flowers or any other natural stuff. This one from Messy Little Monster uses a paper plate as a frame. I also love this one I found on Pinterest that uses a tree shape and packing tape to gather petals.

Or just use regular paper and glue as in this pressed flower and leaf collage from DLTK Kids.

You can also press flowers into playdough, salt dough or air dry clay, like in this activity from Real Red Riding Hoods, which uses homemade playdough.

Sow ‘n Sow has some fun flower activities, too, including this smashed flower tote bag and cookies and lollipops made with edible flowers. So fun!

Michaelmas is one of those holidays that is religious in nature but also has a more secular meaning, especially in England.

Michaelmas is variously known as the Feast Day of saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael or the Feast of the Archangels, and it is generally celebrated on September 29 (or November 8 in Eastern Christian calendars). In England it also marks the end of a quarter both financially and academically (if you’ve ever read a book that talks about Michaelmas term, this is what it’s talking about) and historically the end of the farming year, when accounts would be settled.

In a religious context it celebrates Michael’s defeat of Satan, which also involves slaying, or a least controlling, a dragon, but it’s also a day to mark the progression of the year into fall because it falls near the equinox.

Waldorf educational communities celebrate Michaelmas because Rudolf Steiner believed it was the second most important festival of the year after Easter. They may have a play or a field day celebrating feats of strength and overcoming fears. Season to Gather has a guide available for purchase that includes the story of St. Michael and the dragon, crafts and activities, recipes and more with a Waldorf approach.

I also found this publication from a Waldorf school that has lots of ideas for celebrating Michaelmas with groups of kids, doing things like obstacle courses, rope tugs and races. The booklet also includes songs and recipes to try.

Because they both have to do with saints and dragons, you can pull out your St. George’s Day activities for Michealmas, too, but here are a few more ideas specific to Michaelmas. I’d love to hear about your traditions if this is a holiday you celebrate.

Faith and Fabric has a cute St. Micheal softie project kids or adults can make.

Catholic Icing has a printable pack for purchase that includes stand up figures of the angels in color and black and white as well as coloring pages and the St. Michael prayer printable. She also has a printable party pack with a banner and angels you can use as cupcake toppers.

There are a lot of traditional foods that are involved in a Michaelmas celebration including bannock (a Scottish harvest bread), blackberries and goose (though many people sub chicken or Cornish game hens these days). You can also throw in angel food cake, or devil’s food cake, deviled eggs or spicy foods to celebrate overcoming the devil.

Another traditional activity at Michaelmas is hitting a pinata that is shaped either like Satan or a dragon. You can see this in action and get more details about how one family celebrates Michaelmas at Catholic All Year.

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