Flower Arranging
Materials:
Color Coded
Apron
Table with waterproof surface
A supply of a variety of flowers
A larger vase for keeping the supply of flowers
Tray with a variety of clear vases
Small pitcher
Low bowl with water
Bowl to place stems and leaves
Sharp scissors
Sharp scissors are safer than dull. The child is more likely to cut themselves as they struggle to cut stems with the dull scissors.
Drying cloth
Bucket on underlay
Funnel
Doilies in a basket
Purposes:
Visual Motor Coordination
Development of sense of order through a more complex sequence of Activities/steps
Development of the aesthetic sense (a sense of beauty)
Beautify the environment
Independence
Preparation for Botany by experiencing different plants and leaf shapes
Age: 4 - 5
Preparation:
The child should have experience with the wet pouring following exercises, especially pouring into narrow-necked containers or containers with narrow openings.
The child needs to know how to use scissors.
Presentation:
Invite one child for a lesson on flower arranging.
Show the child the materials at the table and put on aprons.
Explain what you will do. Select a vase.
Invite the child to fill the pitcher with water.
When the child returns, fill the vase ½ way and pour the rest of the water into the low bowl.
Select a flower and stand it on the table by the vase to see how tall it will be.
Leaning low for a good view and using your visual judgment, lower the flower stem in front of the table by the vase to measure how tall the flower should be above the top of the vase.
Pinch where the stem and table meet and pinch that spot on the stem.
Place the stem into the low bowl submerged, move fingers, and cut where the pinch was.
Place the flower into the vase. Look to see if greenery is below the waterline. If so, pull it off and place it in the trash bowl.
Repeat for a few more flowers, inspecting after each flower.
Explain you will find a place for the arrangement.
Take a doily and flower arrangement to the selected spot.
Return to the table and remove the stems from the water and put them in the trash bowl.
Empty the bowl of water into the bucket.
Take the trash bowl and empty it into the trash/compost.
Show how to safely clean the scissors. Open the scissors and pinch the pivot point with your right fingers.
Using the towel with the left hand, wipe the outside of each blade. Set the towel on the table.
Close the scissors and replace them on the table.
Use the towel to wipe the table.
Have the child empty the bucket.
Invite the child.
Fade and observe.
Points of Interest:
Cutting the stem under the water (this keeps the flowers fresher for longer).
Measuring the stem.
Safely wiping off the scissors.
Following Exercises:
Making arrangements from the flowers in the garden outdoors. The child will need a lesson on where to cut the flowers and how many to take.
Refreshing older arrangements by re-cutting the stem, removing dead flowers/leaves, and adding fresh water.
Making arrangements with seasonal flowers/greenery. Example: In the winter we might have pine boughs
Pedagogical Notes:
Try to dedicate a table for this exercise. There are many components that will make for a heavy tray or many trips to the shelf to gather supplies.
Sharp scissors are safer than dull ones in which the child will struggle to cut through thicker stems.
Show the child where they can place their arrangements in Practical Life and on worktables. Shelves with Language, Sensorial, or Mathematics materials have many materials that can be damaged by water spills.
Suggestion: the child can make as many arrangements as they want, however, they should go through the entire clean-up process after each arrangement. This will slow down some students from using all of the flowers in one sitting.
How are your flowers being supplied? Does the school provide them? Can parents take turns to bring them as a classroom donation? Sometimes florists will donate their old flowers to schools.
Tip: Start the week with taller vases. Before the children arrive on Wednesday, remove all flowers and put them back in the large supply vase. Replace the tall vases on the table with shorter ones. This way the children can use the flowers twice.
Transparent vases support the child to know when to stop pouring.
The mathematical mind is at work: judgment in the measuring, the fit of the flower selection, and the sequences in the exercise.
