A Sunflower for Me

[20 Minutes]

Create a paper sunflower together that will grow right before your eyes!

You'll need:

• 2 sheets of white paper • tape • crayons • glue • brown construction paper • pencil • scissors (ADULT USE ONLY)

What to do:

1. Tape two sheets of paper together. Fold the long sheet into 5 equal parts.
2. Help your child in drawing a "seed" to the lowest panel. With crayons she can draw in the dirt at ground level.
3. Talk about how roots grow underneath and help her draw some roots on the paper.
4. Next, draw a long stem together across all the folds to the top panel and then create a pretty yellow sunflower. Cut small narrow strips from brown construction paper and curl these around a pencil. Glue the curls in the center of the flower to look like sunflower seeds.
5. Encourage your little artist to draw a cloud with raindrops on one side of the flower and a sun on the other side.
6. Add a few green leaves as you climb from the ground up to the flower.
7. Refold the paper and together recreate how the flower grows as she unfolds it.

How to use:

1. Reciting this finger play enhances this art activity:

2. In the spring I take a seed and plant it in the ground.(pretend to plant seed)
   The warm sun shines on the world around. (form circle)
   Clouds gather in the sky and the raindrops fall. (flutter finger)
   The little plant sprouts above the ground and grows so straight and tall. (pretend to grow)

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• What do flower seeds need to grow?
• Pretend you are a flower seed in the ground and show me how you would grow tall.

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, your child is developing small muscle skills, eye/hand coordination, language skills, and an introduction to growing things in nature.