|
|
|
PAPER PLATE SUNFLOWERS
Try one or both of these ideas with your group.
|
|
Invite your children to paint the centers of paper plates
brown and the rims yellow. When the paint has dried, give
them sunflower seeds to glue onto their flower centers. |
|
|
Cut the centers out of paper plates. Give your children
yellow paper petal shapes to glue around the plate rims
to create "sunflower masks." Staple a jumbo
craft stick handle to the bottom of each mask. Have the
children hold their masks so that their faces show through
the open centers. |
FLANNEL BOARD
SUNFLOWERS
Cut five sunflower centers out of brown felt and number
them from 1 to 5. Cut 15 sunflower petal shapes out of
yellow felt. Place the centers on a flannel board and
invite your children to arrange a matching number of petals
around each one. |
SUNFLOWER MEASURING
|
|
Explain that some sunflower stalks grow to be 7 feet
tall. Vertically tape a 7-foot piece of green yarn to
a wall. Let your children take turns standing next to
it and comparing their height to the pretend sunflower
stalk. |
|
|
Make paper sunflowers that are the same height as your
children and tape them along a wall. Label the flowers
with the children's names. Use the sunflowers to talk
about "taller" and "shorter." |
FOLLOW
THE SUN
Explain that sunflowers growing outdoors turn their faces
from east to west each day as the sun moves across the
sky. During the night, they turn their faces back again.
Let your children act this out. Have them take turns being
the Sun moving across the pretend sky as the "Sunflowers"
follow the Sun's movements with their faces. |
TASTY SEEDS
Bring in the head of a sunflower with ripe seeds. Or display
a picture of a sunflower and set out edible unshelled sunflower
seeds. Help your children crack open the seeds and examine
the kernels inside with magnifying glasses. Let them taste
the kernels, or give them kernels that are sold ready to eat.
Encourage them to sprinkle some seeds outdoors and watch for
birds and other creatures to come by for a snack.
|
PLANTING
SUNFLOWER SEEDS
Find a sunny spot outdoors and help your children plant
sunflower seeds according to the packet directions. Let them
water and weed their garden, checking frequently to observe
their sunflowers as they grow. If you have enough room, you
might want to plant several varieties of sunflower seeds so
the children can compare the results. |
SEE THE SUNFLOWERS
Tune: "Skip to My Lou"
See the sunflowers all in a row,
See the sunflowers all in a row,
See the sunflowers all in a row,
All in a row, my darling.
Watch the sunflowers grow, grow, grow,
Watch the sunflowers grow, grow, grow,
Watch the sunflowers grow, grow, grow,
Grow in a row, my darling.
|
SUNFLOWER
SNACKS
For each of your children, place a round of wheat bread
spread with peanut butter on a small plate for a sunflower center.
Let the children sprinkle on sunflower kernels. Then have them
arrange mandarin orange slices around the sunflower centers
for petals. |
|
|
