Mother's Day Bouquet

Mothers love receiving hand-made gifts from their children! Try this fun, 3D Mother's Day bouquet craft with the kids you teach. When children take the time to make their own special gift or card, it fosters a sense of pride and encourages creativity and empathy. Get more monthly and holiday activities like this in the book, The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities For Children 3 to 6. 

Materials

• 12" x 18" construction paper in various colors
• crayons
• 1" x 6" construction paper strips in assorted colors
• jumbo crayons for curling
• glue
• 2" paper circles in various colors
• small balloons in assorted colors
• adult scissors

What To Do

1. Give each child a piece of 12" x 18" construction paper positioned vertically. Ask them to color a big stem in the center of their paper, making it very tall and fat. Invite them to add leaves and ground as well.
2. Let each child choose about five strips of paper.
3. Demonstrate how to put a curl into the paper strip by rolling the paper tightly around a jumbo crayon, holding it for a moment, and then slipping the crayon out (keeping the curl intact). This curled strip becomes one curled "flower petal."
4. Show the children how to glue one end of the petal at the top of the stem so that the curl spirals up to make a three-dimensional flower. Repeat the curling process until there are about five petals arranged in a circle to form the flower.
5. Next, ask each child to choose a small circle and glue it on top of the ends of the strips, covering the ends to make the center of the flower.
6. Blow up the balloons until they are about 3" in diameter and tie them shut (adult only).
7. This step should be done by an adult. Use the sharp end of a pair of scissors to poke a hole in the center of the circle and ease the balloon through the hole so that the tied end is on the back of the picture and the balloon is sticking out as the flower's center. Glue another 2" circle on the back to secure the balloon. Have the children make the flowers into a card to take home before Mother's Day!