After a gentle rain a few evenings ago, I decided to take a walk in the field next to our house. I couldn't get anyone to go outside and play so I decided to go by myself. Funny how then everyone just had to be outside then too! Not that I minded, of course. So, we all went walking around the yard and through the field where the kids ride their 4-wheelers and dirtbikes. It had been a gentle rain, so there wasn't any mud, it mostly just help eliminate the dust. I started picking wildflowers along the way and soon had a big bouquet. I purposely made sure to pick some of the multitude of Queen Anne's Lace to do this little project with. Here's what you'll need if you want to try this out at your home:
SUPPLIES:
3 flowers with white petals (Queen Anne's Lace, carnations, daisies, etc.)
3 clear glasses
water
food coloring
Trim the stem of each flower so it fits into the glass nicely. Add water about 3/4 full.
Add a different color food coloring to each glass. Stir with the flower's stem. Let sit at least overnight. You should see the color being drawn up to the petals in about a day, depending on the type of flower used.
I had each child of mine select a color of dye then had them add it to the water. It seemed to give them some ownership of it, and of course they made it into a race! The blue seemed to show up the quickest and the deepest overall. Yellow was second and the red was last as it took nearly two days to see even a hint of it in the petals.
You could then take these flowers and press them and use them in cards or another craft. I had every intention of doing that, but these kids were determined it was going to be a race to the death and I had to end up tossing the flowers as the petals were falling off all over my counters. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
I'm Dianna, and we love the outdoors here at our home in West Virginia. Now that it's summer, we've taken some time off from formal studies. However, the kids are still learning something new every day!! I always make sure that they have the opportunity for educational activities and adventures, I just don't call them that!! My two boys were public schooled for a few years, and it has taken several years for their love of learning to return to them and it thrills me to no end now that the love is back. It is rare to see my children without a book or other project in their hands and you'll never hear them say "I'm bored." We are so blessed that homeschooling is a part of our lives, it suits us perfectly.
