Elementary Mother's Day Activity

A Creative Flowering Art Lesson Students Can Make for Mom

Apr 13, 2007 Susan Hyde

Mother's Day is coming! Help your students create beautiful and useful gifts for the most important woman in their lives.

Mothers always love every gift a child gives, but there is only so much room on the refrigerator door. This year help your students to create potted memories that will grow beyond Mother's Day!

Content Areas: Art, Fine Motor Skills, Science, Research, Computer Skills,

Materials: Craft foam in various colors, craft sticks, one package of kitchen herb seeds per child (parsley, basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, lavender, etc.), white glue, glue gun and glue sticks, a wallet sized picture of each child, terra cotta pots (one per student - 6'-12"), quality potting soil, tempera paint, wax paper, note cards, tissue wrapping paper, clear tape

Activities:

Note: This activity will take at least two class periods.

1. Make a Flower:

• Ask students to draw and cut out a daisy-style flower approximately 5" wide on colored craft foam.
• Then have students cut out a 3" circle from white or yellow craft foam (Classroom Management Tip: You might want to have stencils or compasses on hand for this activity).
• Glue the 3" circle onto the center of the 5" flower
• Take out the wallet sized pictures. Have students cut out a 1-1 1/2" circle around their face.
• Glue the photograph circle onto the middle of the 3" circle.
• Use a glue gun to attach each child's flower to a craft stick. Set aside.
• Students may want to put a "Happy Mother's Day Message" on craft foam leaves (also attached to the craft stick stem using the glue gun) or on the craft stick stem itself.

2. Make a Handprint Pot:

• Provide each child with a terracotta pot. (Class Management Tip: Ask various home and garden shops for a donation or a reduced rate for buying multiple pots)
• Provide each child with a piece of wax paper (approximately 12"X12")
• Pour tempera paint onto each piece of wax paper.
• Ask students to smear the paint around on the paper until their hands are evenly coated with the paint.
• Have each student make handprint decorations on his or her pot. Set pots aside to dry.

3. Plant Herb Seeds:

• Place potting soil in the handprint pots.
• Plant herb seeds in the pots according to the instructions on the seed packets.
• Ask each student to put his or her craft foam flower into the pot.
• Water and place in a sunny spot.
• Most herbs sprout within 7-14 days. Keep soil damp.

4. Add a Recipe Card:

• Ask students to use the internet to find a recipe that uses the herb that they have grown.
• Students should either type or neatly write the recipe onto a pretty note card (this could be home made).
• Gently wrap each pot with a couple of pieces of colored tissue paper secured with tape.
• Place the recipe card in an envelope.

Now each child's mother will have an herb in a special pot that can be used for a special recipe!

Classroom Tip: Use this activity in conjunction with a gardening unit complete with student-made compost and garden poetry

The copyright of the article Elementary Mother's Day Activity in Curricula/Lesson Plans is owned by Susan Hyde. Permission to republish Elementary Mother's Day Activity in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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Comments

May 2, 2008 11:09 AM

Guest :

I don't know about tempera paint, but if you use acrylic paint, if you don't seal the pot, the paint will not stick when you add water. I seal the pots on the inside before the kids stamp on them.

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