Celebrate May Day and the beauty of spring with a charming basket of handmade paper blooms! Little hands get a good workout pinching and twisting tissue paper squares to create the pretty flowers, helping to build dexterity and fine motor skills.
What You Need:
- Heavy duty paper plate
- Scissors
- Roll of 1”-wide ribbon
- Tissue paper in a variety of colors, cut into 3” squares
- White glue
- Small cup
What You Do:
- Cut 1" slits in either end of the paper plate, placing them 1" in from the edge.
- Show your child how to weave the ribbon through the plate to make a handle. Thread the ribbon down through one of the slits, across the back of the plate, and back up through the other slit.
- Pour a little glue into the small cup.
- Ask her to pick up one of the tissue paper squares, pinch the middle, and twist so it looks like a pretty flower.
- Have her dip the paper flower in the glue and stick it on her paper plate basket.
- Encourage her to repeat steps 4 and 5 to fill up her basket with flowers.
- When she's done filling her basket, help her tie the ribbon in a bow at the top of her basket.
On May Day, surprise someone special with a basket of blooms!
Did You Know? Traditionally, May Day is a time to celebrate the bounty of spring and the end of harsh winter weather. In many countries around the world, however, May Day is also the International Workers' Day (similar to our Labor Day). On this day, workers gather in the streets to hold demonstrations and street rallies.
By Barbara Saul
Adapted with permission from "The GIANT Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities." Copyright 2004 by Kathy Charner (Editor), Maureen Murphy (Editor), and Jennifer Ford (Editor). Used by Permission of Gryphon House, Inc., Maryland. All Rights Reserved.
Add your own comment