Kari Svenneby
One of my first nature discoveries as a child was picking wildflowers. I played with them and brought them proudly to my parents. I was lucky to have parents and grandparents who taught me the names of the flowers and some of the myths that surrounded them. For me picking wildflowers is in many ways a symbol of a childhood in nature.
In Norway and Sweden you are allowed to pick wildflowers everywhere in nature. It is part of their “right to roam”.
In the US and Canada there are many different regulations so you should find out which regulations apply where you live. Maybe the best bet is to visit a farm where you can pick wildflowers. The Strawberry farm near Toronto where we pick our strawberries and raspberries lets us pick wildflowers for us to use for education and crafts.
Going for nature walks together is a fun activity as a group with children and adults. Take pictures of the flowers and find the names of the flowers when you come home. Maybe you can also discover butterflies and bugs that are attracted to different flowers.
Some fun art projects you can do with wildflowers
Make sure you bring a sketchbook and crayons on your journey, when it is time for the end of the journey, let them let them draw the findings like them see them.
It also helps them remember the names of the flowers more easily.
Nature Journal
You need:
Piece of paper
Flowers
Scissors
Pen
Wildflower book
Contact paper
Place all the flowers out on the paper; name each of them with a help of a wildflower book. Put contact paper on the top, and use a hammer to put down big flower stem.
How to press flowers
What you need
Flowers
Paper
Scissors
Phone book
Heavy book
On site (where you picked them) pack each flower in separate sheets of paper to preserve and for each kid to take home. When you come home put your flowers (you can put several flowers in a phonebook).
After one week your flower will be ready for art projects. Dried flowers can be made for several art projects.
Cards
Placemat
Posters
Use clear contact paper to secure them.
Frame your dried flowers.
You need
Dried flowers
Frame (this is from Ikea)
Contact paper
Scissors
Put flowers in the frame, cover flower with contact paper. Cut around the frame.
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