Coffee Filter Flowers

[25 Minutes]

Brighten your child's day with this bouquet of flowers.

You'll need:

• coffee filters • food colors--red, yellow, blue • water and shallow containers (margarine bowls) • newspaper • green pipe cleaners • cologne (optional)

What to do:

1. Fold a coffee filter in half three times.
2. Put out several dishes of water.
3. Let your child drop the food coloring into the water (counting the drops).
4. Invite your child to dip the tip of the filter in one color and to remove it.
5. Dip another corner into another color. Fold and dip it into another color.
6. Turn it upside down and dip it into another color.
7. Challenge him to open the filter and lay it flat to dry on newspaper.
8. When it is dry, show him how to twist it at the center and to gently pull out the edges to make a flower shape.
9. Help him twist green pipe cleaners onto his flower for the stem.
10. If he wishes, add a spray of cologne to create a fragrant flower.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• Which flower do you like the best? Why?
• Can you show me a place where the colors have mixed to create a new color?
• How shall we display the flowers?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, this activity helps your child develop small muscle skills and eye/hand coordination.