Dandelion Painting 

This is such a fun and easy nature inspired process art that you can do right after a nature walk!

Take your little learners outside on a nature walk and collect dandelions! Once you have collected enough dandelions for everyone, offer tempera paint on a paper plate and dip your dandelions in the paint and stamp them on the paper! 

Notice the textures and imprints of thee dandelions on the canvas!

Dandelion Soup 

We had so much fun with our dandelions yesterday we wanted to keep exploring ways to play! This is such a fun and easy nature play inspired activity that will have children mixing all kinds of concoctions as they learn and play!

Go on a nature walk in your community and begin collection dandelions, grass, rocks and other ingredients for your soup!

Once you have your ingredients add them to your playtray compartments and fill your playtray with water. Then add yellow food colouring and cornstarch then mix! Add bowls, sieves and scoops and then begin mixing in your ingredients.

Invite children to scoop, pour, measure, mix, and explore.

Dipping Dandelions in Water Outdoor STEM Experiment

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This simple but fascinating outdoor science experiment is one children will want to try again and again! All you need is a dandelion puffball, a jar of water, and a little wonder!

Start by heading outside to hunt for dandelions that have gone to seed (the fluffy kind!). Carefully pick one and gently dip it straight down into a jarvof water… then pull it back out. You’ll see something amazing—the dandelion stays dry! 

Why does this happen?
Each tiny seed is covered in teeny-tiny hairs and a waxy coating that traps air and repels water. It's nature’s way of helping the seeds float in the wind—even after rain! 

Why is this activity beneficial?
Scientific Thinking: Encourages children to observe, predict, and wonder about how the natural world works.
Nature Play: Deepens children’s connection to plants and their life cycles.
Sensory Exploration: Dipping and watching water bead off soft fluff invites careful hands and keen eyes.

Extend the Learning:
- Use a magnifying glass to take a closer look at the dandelion seeds.
- Ask, “What do you think would happen if we dipped it sideways?” or “Why doesn’t the fluff fall apart in the water?”
- Try drawing what you see before and after dipping to connect art and science!

Dandelion Tea Water Play

Fancy a spring dandelion tea party? Your little learners will delight in their storytelling while pouring out and serving tea and other concoctions they are creating!

Go on a nature walk in your local community or backyard with children and collect all your dandelions! Then bring them back to your learning space and take your deep tuff tray outside and sprinkle the dandelions all over the tray. Then add your fanciest tea party essentials like place teapots, coffee and tea sets, mortar and pestles, bowls, teaspoons and more. Make sure water is available in your different vessels and for fun dandelion detail you can dye it with yellow food colouring and mix in cornstarch for a tea like look!

Then invite your little learners to your tea party!

Dandelion Nature Painting 

Dandelion Flower Shop 

Spring has sprung and our dandelion flower shop is open for business. Make corsages, hairpieces, and arrangements with simple material set up.

Go on a nature walk in your local community or backyard with children and collect all your dandelions! Then bring them back to your learning space and take your deep tuff tray outside and sprinkle the dandelions all over the tray. Then add your vases, wood rounds, baskets and materials and invite children to create.

Fork Paint Dandelions 

 
This is such a fun and easy process art activity to celebrate signs of spring. All you need is forks, washable tempera paint and a sheet of paper!
 
Pour green and yellow washable tempera paint on a paper plate and add plastic forks! Then lay out a sheet of paper and encourage your little artists to take the fork with green paint and stamp it along the bottom of the paper to create grass. Take a paint brush and paint stems of different lengths all throughout the grass. Invite your little artists to take the fork covered in yellow paint and then press the paint all around the stem to form your dandelion.

Incorporating Dandelions into Curriculum

For educators and parents eager to incorporate dandelions into their curriculum, here are some tips:

• Seasonal Timing: Plan dandelion activities in spring or early summer when they are most abundant.
• Safety First: Ensure that the dandelions are picked from safe, pesticide-free areas.
• Interdisciplinary Approach: Use dandelions to create cross-curricular activities that combine art, science, and literacy.
• Community Involvement: Involve the community by having children present their dandelion projects at a local fair or to family and friends.

Dandelion play activities offer a wealth of opportunities for play-based learning, from sensory exploration and process art to scientific inquiry and imaginative play. By integrating these activities into educational settings or home play routines, parents and educators can provide children with engaging, educational experiences that promote a deeper connection with nature. So the next time you see a field of dandelions, consider it a playground ripe with possibilities for fostering growth and exploration in young learners. Let’s turn what many consider a weed into a wonderful tool for development and discovery.

Make sure to tag us on social media if you try any of our ideas and follow us for more play based learning activites, process art and craft ideas on social media @ScholarsChoice on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest