Sharing is one of the most important things we can do with our favorite children. Sharing our time, our creative energy & our ideas, we help our children learn to enjoy sharing their best selves with others.
Share an autumn garden project.
Create a beautiful alphabet...
using dried or pressed flowers, or cut out photographs from magazines (or photos
of your garden). Simple ideas-- assign one page for each letter of the
alphabet. Punch holes in the paper and slip the page into a three-ring
notebook. Neatly write one letter on each page. Work on one or two
pages at a time.
Start with your child's favorite letters. Add pictures of flowers that begin with the selected letter. (Z is for Zinnia, D is for Daisy) Or, arrange flowers in the shape of the letter! (Make this easier by drawing a large letter outline so you can just fill it in with flowers or flower pictures.) Start now & you'll have a special and unique gift to share at the holidays- just in time for someone to enjoy a remembrance of spring, summer & autumn gardens!
Make a pressed-flower card... Share the beauty of a flower by pressing it between the pages of a heavy book (telephone books and dictionaries work well). Fold a paper in half or quarters to prepare a card base. When the flower is dry use a small amount of glue to keep it in place on the card.
Dry flowers... Several flowers dry
nicely just by hanging them upside down. This is a great way to preserve
some of summer's bounty! Use pretty ribbon to tie small bunches of
hydrangeas (pictured),
strawflowers or roses together. (Hydrangeas are pictured on
this page.) Loop the ribbons over a nail or coat hook in a dry
place. When the flowers are dry, work together to arrange them in a
child-friendly basket.
Share seeds... This is a wonderful time to gather and share seeds. Make special seed packets with your favorite children. Set them aside to give as special holiday gifts. You can use photographs or drawings to illustrate the seed packets! Use plain envelopes or make your own by folding paper in thirds and using tape to hold the sides together. In our experience, young children love to add tape to any project. With your explanation, young children can take great pride in helping create a very meaningful gift. Check our reading suggestions for Sunflower House.
Plan a garden... While there are still plentiful flowers in sight, encourage your child to help you share a plan for next year's garden. This is a great time to select a package of bulbs to plant indoors or outside!
For more thoughts about autumn gardens & flowers, please visit autumn archives for remembering and cleaning.
Create new games & projects to demonstrate that sharing really is fun!
Patchwork quilt is one sharing game we invented that is easy to play anywhere. You just need one piece of paper and something (anything) that writes.
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