Author: Maddie Van Beek
It’s now officially spring! In honor of the beginning of the season, we are going to talk about planting flowers!
A few weeks ago, we learned how to plant flower bulbs (http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/plant-your-own-flower-bulbs).
This week, you are going to use shredded paper and wildflower seeds to create flower bombs.
Before we start shredding and planting, let’s learn a little bit more about flowers!
How does a plant grow?
It’s now officially spring! In honor of the beginning of the season, we are going to talk about planting flowers!
A few weeks ago, we learned how to plant flower bulbs (http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/plant-your-own-flower-bulbs).
This week, you are going to use shredded paper and wildflower seeds to create flower bombs.
Before we start shredding and planting, let’s learn a little bit more about flowers!
How does a plant grow?
Follow-up questions:
* Why is a seed coat important?
* What is a seed mostly made of?
* What parts does a baby plant have?
* How does germination happen?
* What jobs do roots and leaves do for the plant?
* How do seeds travel?
What are the different parts of a flower?
* Why is a seed coat important?
* What is a seed mostly made of?
* What parts does a baby plant have?
* How does germination happen?
* What jobs do roots and leaves do for the plant?
* How do seeds travel?
What are the different parts of a flower?
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-orEZdMdPL9c/Tru9TmN3CoI/AAAAAAAAANQ/Kt8YfjdRPl8/s1600/Parts-of-Plant.jpg
For more information about the growth process of a plant, check out our blog on bean seeds and germination: http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/a-plant-is-born-seed-germination
Here’s even more information on the plant kingdom, if you want to learn more!
http://scienceinvestigators.wikispaces.com/The+Plant+Kingdom
Flower Bombs
Aside from flower bombs being a fun activity, these make great gifts for anyone who enjoys flowers! Another reason flower bombs are cool is that they are easily transportable and allow you to spread flowers to hard-to-reach places. They also make planting fun and easy.
YOU WILL NEED:
* Multi-colored paper
* Food processor
* Bowl
* Muffin tin or other tray
* Water
* Strainer
* Wildflower seeds (found at local grocery store or plant nursery)
Here’s what to do!
1. Select the paper that you want to use for your flower bombs. It’s fun to pick a few different colors if you want your flower bombs to be multicolored. You can even add glitter if you want!
2. Rip up the paper into tiny pieces and put the scraps into a bowl.
3. Add water. Stir up the paper shreds and mush it together. Add food coloring or glitter (optional).
4. Put your colorful paper mush into a food processor. Blend it up!
5. You’re now left with paper goop. Put a strainer in your kitchen sink and dump the paper goop into the strainer. Apply pressure to the goop to squeeze out that extra moisture.
6. Scoop the paper goop into a muffin tin, ice cube tray, or jello mold. Sometimes you can even find trays with fun shapes to use! Below you can see an example of someone who used heart shapes:
http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/02/Rainbow-Sprouts-Pride-Seed-Bombs1.jpg
7. Fill each section of your tray half full with goop.
8. Now it’s time to add your seeds! Rip open the bag of wildflower seeds and carefully sprinkle onto each section.
9. Once you’re done sprinkling seeds, scoop the paper goop on top of each section so that the seeds are sandwiched in the middle of the two layers of goop.
10. Gently pat the goop down until the surface of each section is fairly level.
11. Wait 24 hours for your the paper goop to dry.
12. Flip the tray and tap the bottom. Out come your flower bombs! You now have dry paper with seeds safely secure inside. Once it rains, the moisture will seep into the paper and reach the seeds!
13. Now that you have your flower bombs made, choose a few spots to place them. The cool thing about flower bombs is that you don’t have to bury them--you just pick a spot and wait for rain. Put one in a sunny area, one in a shady area, and one in your home (in a pot of dirt). Since your indoor flower bomb won’t get any rain, make sure to water it daily. Predict which flower bomb will produce the most flowers and/or grow the fastest. Observe the growth process for each flower bomb and record your findings.
Looking for more activities with plants or gardening? Check out our other blogs here:
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/learn-about-the-different-biomes
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/biodegradable-gardening
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/theres-more-than-one-way-to-make-a-new-plant
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/plant-transpiration
References
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Seed-Bomb/
http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/garden-craft-seed-bombs
8. Now it’s time to add your seeds! Rip open the bag of wildflower seeds and carefully sprinkle onto each section.
9. Once you’re done sprinkling seeds, scoop the paper goop on top of each section so that the seeds are sandwiched in the middle of the two layers of goop.
10. Gently pat the goop down until the surface of each section is fairly level.
11. Wait 24 hours for your the paper goop to dry.
12. Flip the tray and tap the bottom. Out come your flower bombs! You now have dry paper with seeds safely secure inside. Once it rains, the moisture will seep into the paper and reach the seeds!
13. Now that you have your flower bombs made, choose a few spots to place them. The cool thing about flower bombs is that you don’t have to bury them--you just pick a spot and wait for rain. Put one in a sunny area, one in a shady area, and one in your home (in a pot of dirt). Since your indoor flower bomb won’t get any rain, make sure to water it daily. Predict which flower bomb will produce the most flowers and/or grow the fastest. Observe the growth process for each flower bomb and record your findings.
Looking for more activities with plants or gardening? Check out our other blogs here:
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/learn-about-the-different-biomes
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/biodegradable-gardening
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/theres-more-than-one-way-to-make-a-new-plant
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/plant-transpiration
References
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Seed-Bomb/
http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/garden-craft-seed-bombs
