What you need:
- Flower petals
- Wooden cutting board
- Paper towels
- Index cards (unlined)
- Hammer
What to do:
- With your child, gather a variety of flower petals. You may need to experiment with different types to find out which works best. You can also tear them to create smaller sizes.
- Place two paper towels on the cutting board, and set one index card on top of the paper towels.
- Lay a flower petal on the index card, and then place another index card on top. Help your child use the hammer to gently tap the area over the petal. You can also try arranging more than one flower petal on the card. (Placing a towel underneath the cutting board will help reduce the noise from the hammering.)
- After tapping, remove the cover sheet to see if your petal made a print. If the petal is smashed, gently scrape off with a fingernail. If not, move the cover sheet to a new position and continue to tap. If you are using more than one kind of flower petal, ask your child to observe what kinds work best — do some make darker prints than others? Do some kinds last longer?
- Continue printing until you have created a pattern or design. As an alternative, your child may want to create a picture or a scene. She can also use a marker to add details to her picture.
