That’s Right…

Dandelions! Friend, Not Foe

Summer is almost over. (WAH!) And that means a lot of things. And one is the end of Dandelions. While fathers around the neighbourhood may rejoice that their battle with these prolific flowering weeds will soon come to a close for the season, it’s a rather sad day for kids.

Or at least it should be.

Do you let your kids spread Dandelion seeds by blowing them off the stems? Have they learned “Miss Polly had a Dolly and Her Head Popped Off?” Do you play the “Do You Like Butter?” game? How about make Dandelion stem jewellery?

No? Well there’s still time! Grab your kids and head for the dandelion patch! (I dare you to play “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” with dandelion petals! )

Dandelion Games for Kids

Got Dandelions? Good. Let’s Play:

Blow the Seeds Off Of Dandelions

This is a great outdoor game for toddlers (and older kids). Simply pick a Dandelion that has gone to seed and blow the seeds off it. When the kids start to get lightheaded, they can simply wave them in the air. They’ll love it! (I still do!)

Miss Polly Had a Dolly

Sure, some parents might freak out about the idea of a doll having it’s head popped off, but you know what? It’s a fact of life. Doll”s heads pop off and kids think this game is hilarious! And honestly, it’s a great way to get the kids beheading all the Dandelions in the yard before they go to seed.

How to play: Find a Dandelion that has bloomed. Grip the stem just under the flower’s head. Place your thumb against the stem under the flower and flick your thumb upwards while singing the song (lyrics below). The flower should pop off! (It may take kids a few tries to figure out the popping part. Let them experiment and problem solve this one. They may just rip that head off!–That works too!)

Lyrics: Miss Polly had a dolly and it’s head popped off. (Pop head off Dandelion on the word “popped.”)

Do You Like Butter?

This game originated with Buttercups, I believe, but being rather short on Buttercups but deluged in Dandelions, we always used Dandelions.

Find a Dandelion that is in bloom. Hold it under someone’s chin while asking “Do you like butter?” If the flower reflects yellow on their skin, the answer is “yes.” And then, if you are feeling especially bratty, you slide the flower up over their chin, leaving the gorgeous yellow pollen behind. (If you are thinking “allergies” don’t fret. Just play. You can always run to the Claritin later.)

Dandelion Jewellery

How to make Dandelion Jewellery: Take the stems of Dandelions–longer is better as they usually taper a bit more, making this easier–and take one end (skinnier end) and slide it through the hollow other end of the stem making a circle/loop. Voila! Make more loops, hooking them through another loop before closing the loop to make a chain. Make bracelets, anklets, necklaces, and even a headdress.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

This game is a lot easier with a flower that only has a few petals, but if you are looking for a nice, BIG challenge, playing this game with a Dandelion is the sure way to go! Pull out the first petal and say “He loves me.” Pull out the second petal and say “He loves me not.” Continue back and forth. The last petal that you pull out will reveal if he loves you or not. Good luck!

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Strange and useless Dandelion facts: Dandelions are not considered a weed in England and are planted in gardens–intentionally. (or so I have been told–correct me if I am wrong). Dandelions make a lovely wine. Dandelion leaves are edible and can be added to salads.

What are/were your favourite Dandelion games to play? Did you play any of these as a kid?

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Dandelion games for kids. Have you played these games? http://t.co/TMDI7vEY

— Jean Oram (@KidsPlay) August 22, 2012

Well, the picture kind of says it all on this one (a capillary action experiment for kids to try at home).

How to Change the Colour of Daisies Using Capillary Action

First you will need a couple of white daisies (ones that have just bloomed are a bit better than ‘old’ daisies). Then, grab a couple of glasses, some water, and some food colouring.

Pop a couple of drops of food colouring into the water (see above–we used quite a few drops) and then place the daisies in the water. If it has been awhile since you picked the daisies, you might want to trim the ends of the stems so it can suck up the water a bit better. (The ends of the stems heal over time making it difficult for them to ‘drink.’)

Now… you just have to wait, wait, wait while capillary action sucks the coloured water up through the stems and into the petals–changing their colours. That’s a fun capillary action experiment for the kids that is super easy!

Have you tried any capillary action experiments? What did you do? Did it work? Share your experiments or thoughts in the comment section.

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Sharing made easy:

How to change the colour of a daisy. A fun and easy capillary action science experiment for kids. http://t.co/YRwAPHcz

— Jean Oram (@KidsPlay) August 7, 2012

Connect with Jean on Google+.

A cutting is a piece cut or pinched off a plant. Sometimes you can start a new houseplant by cutting a piece off a big one. For most plants, placing the cutting in water makes it grow roots so you can plant it. There are some plants that can be stuck straight in the dirt after being cut and they will grow! If you aren’t sure, experiment to see what works.

Christmas Cactus (shown above) can be pinched off a plant and stuck in the dirt. It will begin growing its own roots. Don’t forget to water it!

Make this a family activity: Get everyone to make their own cutting and plant it.

This activity promotes awareness of how plants grow.

Rake a pile of leaves into a pile and jump into them!

Make this a family activity: Get the whole family raking and jumping together.

This activity promotes physical activity.

Pick a few flowers you would like to keep. Place them between two pieces of newspaper. Put a flat, heavy object like a big book on top of the paper until the flowers are dry (a day or two). The book will press the flowers flat as they dry.

Above are Fireweed and Clover, saved from our northern trip this summer.

Once dry, glue your pressed flowers onto a memory box, a homemade card or simply admire them.

Make this a family activity: Take everyone outside to collect flowers for pressing.

This activity promotes an awareness of nature.