Flower arranging was always a popular activity in my Montessori classroom, so I love to include it as an activity at home as well. Today’s activity includes the popular practical life activity of flower arranging along with botany activities for plant identification. There are even some sensorial aspects to the activity!
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Flower Identification for Toddlers and Preschoolers’
For an activity that’s simple enough for a toddler, use the 3-period lesson to teach the name of each flower that will be in your flower arranging activity. Generally, you’ll introduce the names of 2 or 3 flowers at a time. Smell the flower and gently place it on the mat. In our YouTube video, we used the example of a yellow daffodil and 2 different colors of tulips that we used for flower arranging. Then introduce the name of each flower. Smelling the flower, feeling the flower, and possibly mentioning the color of the flower will add sensorial experiences as well.
Flower Identification and Matching Activity
For toddlers who no longer mouth objects, you could add flowers from the Safari Ltd. Flowers TOOB to 3-part types of flowers cards. I used the free 3-part flower cards from Tired, Need Sleep.
How many and which parts of the cards you use will depend on the age and reading/matching ability of your child. (Sorry, but I didn’t have the best daffodils available for this activity, so my daffodil example in the photo could be better.)
Later on, you can go into parts of the flower. For a toddler, I just introduce the terms stem, leaf, and petal. For a preschooler, all the parts of a flower can be introduced.
Flower Identification and Arranging for Toddlers and Preschoolers – Video
This video with my daughter, Christina, and 17-month-old granddaughter, Zoey, combines flower identification with flower arranging in a way that even a toddler can enjoy and feel success with.
Yes, your toddler will probably put his or her hand in the water sometimes. That’s natural … and another sensorial experience. 😉
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Flower Arranging for Toddlers and Preschoolers
For toddlers, a simple activity like the one shown in the video works well. You can add more steps as your child gets older. Preschoolers can handle a flower arranging activity with a number of steps to follow.
Here are some resources with varying levels of difficulty:
- Arranging Flowers from Montessori Primary Guide (traditional Montessori presentation for preschoolers)
- Flower Arranging: A Montessori Practical Life Kids Activity from Rhythms of Play
- Empathetic Roots of Flower Arranging from MMP School
Resources for Flower Identification and Flower Arranging
- Montessori-Inspired Botany/Gardening Unit
- Free Flower 3-Part Cards from Tired, Need Sleep
- Safari Ltd. Flowers TOOB
- Bamboo mat in video (from Montessori By Mom)
- Apron in video (from Montessori By Mom)
- Montessori Services Flower Arranging Materials
- Montessori Services Pitchers (the one used in the video was the 8 oz. Bistro Pitcher)
- Silk Flowers
More on Montessori Flower Arranging
Montessori Nature Tray with Magnification Work and Flower Arranging
Montessori Flower Arranging with Many Practical Life Skills
This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori Learning series!
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I just love all of your posts with your granddaughter. It makes my heart so happy to see that you have such a relationship with her. Thank you for sharing such a great activity!
I love your videos! The videos make is so easy to understand the Montessori method. 🙂 Thank you! Pinned!
Thank you so much for sharing a video. It explains the 3 period Lesson very well. 😉
What a wonderful post. She is so much fun to watch! The video is wonderful. I’ll have to try this soon with my 3 year old as our daffodils and tulips are in bloom.
This is so great! And I am so glad I found you over at Share it Saturday because right now my daughter is way into flowers. Definitely pinning this. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the informative video! What a great presentation!
Such a sweet post! We’ll be doing this activity next week and excited to show your video to my Mavi! Thanks for sharing!
I love this as a spring activity. So many opportunities for sensory, motor and aesthetic skills. Thanks for sharing!
Such wonderful information – thank you and the video is as sweet as can be 🙂 love it!
I just love these videos! Thanks for linking up at the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop! We hope you join us again next week!
I love the idea of flower identification and arranging for toddlers and preschoolers. Great post a read on! Thanks for sharing this informative article.