Arranging Flowers-Montessori EPL Activity

Invite a child to come by telling them you have something to show them. Tell the child for that we will need an apron for this activity. You and the child put on aprons. Tell the child that you are going to show him how cut and arrange flowers.

Preparation

1. Pick up the jug and fill it half full of water.
2. Replace the jug in its spot on the table.
3. Show the child where the vases are and choose one vase.
4. Carry the vase by gripping the neck of the vase with your right hand and placing your left hand flat under the vase for support.
5. Carry it carefully to the table and place it above the bowl.

Presentation

1. Pick up the jug and slowly pour water into the vase until it is 1/4 full.
2. Stop pouring, wait for the last drop to drop and bring the jug into the vertical position.
3. Then pour the rest of the water into the bowl.
4. Replace the jug on the table in its spot.
5. Choose a flower stem by gripping the stem with your right hand and holding the other flowers in place as you pull out your chosen stem.
6. Take off the leaves with your left hand and place them into the bin.
7. Place your stem down to the left of the bowl.
8. Repeat until you have enough stems for your vase.
9. Pick up one stem with your right hand and stand it up next to the vase.
10. Notice the height of the stem and try to tell how much you will need to cut off so it fits nicely into the vase.
11. Bring the stem above the bowl and switch hands so it is now in your left hand.
12. Lay the stem down so the tip of the stem is in the water and the flowers are closer to you.
13. Pick up the scissors with your right hand and place the tip into the water near the tip of the stem.
14. Open the scissors and cut off the tip of the stem that is in the water.
15. Replace the now closed scissors back on the tray and bring the stem up vertical above the bowl.
16. Switch the stem from your left hand to your right hand and stand it up straight next to the vase.
17. Check to see if the stem is at a good height for your vase.
18. If it is still too tall, repeat the movements for cutting off the tip of the stem.
19. If the stem is at the correct height hold the vase down steady with your left hand around the neck of the vase and carefully slide the stem down into the vase until the stem is fully and securely in the vase.
20. Then remove your left and right hand.
21. Continue the measuring, cutting, and arranging of the flower stems until all of the flower stems you have chosen are nicely in the vase.
22. Show the child where the doilies are and carry one using both hands holding around the edge.
23. Place it somewhere in the environment where you would like to place your vase.
24. Come back to the working table.
25. Pick up the vase in the same way as when you first picked it up and place it in the center of your doily.

Completion

1. Come back to the working table.
2. Using your right hand, place your fingers into the water at the far back left corner of the bowl.
3. In a scooping motion, scoop out the stem cutoffs.
4. Place the cutoffs into the small bin on the table.
5. Repeat this scooping moving for the entire bowl until all the cutoffs are in the bin and the water is clear of any flower part or stem part.
6. Take the water bucket from under the table with both hands around it, and place it next to the table and to your left.
7. Pick up the bowl in the same way as the water bucket.
8. Tilt the bowl over the bucket, away from you and at a slight angle so you can see the water as it pours.
9. Pour out all of the water
10. Wait for the last drop and replace the bowl on the tray.
11. Empty the water bucket into the sink and then replace under the table.
12. Place your four left fingers on the cloth and your left thumb under the bottom right part of the top flap.
13. Open the cloth to the left.
14. Pick up the scissors with your right hand.
15. Place the tip of the scissors into the far back part of the cloth.
16. Close the flap back over tightly on top of the scissors.
17. Slowly pull out the scissors towards you.
18. Show the child that this side of the scissors are dry.
19. Reopen the cloth with your left hand.
20. Rotate the scissors over and place the tip as before in the cloth.
21. Remove your right fingers and replace them comfortably in the handles.
22. Close the flap over tightly on top of the scissors.
23. Slowly pull the scissors out towards you as before.
24. Reopen the cloth with your left hand.
25. Remove your left hand and use it, as well as your right hand, to carefully fully open the scissors.
26. Place the open tips into the cloth.
27. Using your left hand, close the flap of cloth tightly over the scissors.
28. Slowly pull out the scissors toward you and show the child how this side of the scissors are dry.
29. Repeat this drying for the other side.
30. Carefully close the scissors using both hands in the handles and place the scissors back onto the tray.
31. Hold the cloth in your right hand and dry the jug and then both sides of the bowl.
32. Clean the table and tray if any water has spilled.
33. Then dry the water bucket.
34. Hand the drying cloth up to dry and show the child where he can find a dry cloth.
35. Replace the wet cloth with a dry one.
36. Empty the bin into the trashcan and replace the bin onto the table.
37. Invite the child create his own flower arrangement.

Purpose

Direct: Exercise of discrimination and judgment. Development of aesthetic sense.

Indirect: Building up voluntary movements.

Points of Interests
Cutting the stems.

Age

3 years plus

Content Prepared by: Pratheek

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