Activity
Flower arranging
Joins care of the environment with a real contribution to the room, and involves pouring, cutting and carrying.
- Ages
- 3–4, 4–5, 5–6 years
- Prep
- 10 minutes
Put this to work this week
A week gives you what to gather, one change at home and one thing to observe. It starts with four short questions.
Readiness signs
Signs to look for, not a checklist to pass.
- Pours water with control
- Can use safety scissors
- Notices and comments on the room
What to gather
Two or three small vases, a small jug, safety scissors, a funnel, a cloth, a few stems
How to present it
Show it slowly and in silence. Your hands are the lesson.
- 1Set out the vases, jug, funnel, scissors and cloth on a tray.
- 2Fill a vase using the funnel, then set the funnel down on the cloth.
- 3Cut one stem at an angle and place it in the vase.
- 4Carry the vase with two hands and place it somewhere in the room.
- 5Wipe the tray and put everything back.
What to say — and what to avoid
Say
- Where should this one go?
- The cloth is for the drops.
Avoid
- That looks messy
- Not there
Control of error
Water on the table and stems that are too long for the vase both show themselves.
What to observe
Take these into the next cycle rather than judging the session.
- Does your child choose where each vase goes?
- Do they notice spills without prompting?
- Do they come back to check on the flowers later?
Simplify or extend
If it's too hard
Skip the cutting; offer pre-cut stems and just the pouring and placing.
Once it's mastered
Add measuring water to a marked line, or caring for a plant across the week.
Sources and review
Nothing publishes here without a named reviewer and the sources it rests on.
- The Absorbent Mind — Maria Montessori. Care of the environment and the social embryo