Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

dy•nam•ic constant change, progress, activity

nature

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A fun kids diy flower press can turn a simple wildflower (or garden flower) unit study into a fun and memorable unit by adding in some simple hands-on activities.

Just a few dollars and a little time are all you need to create an easy perfectly portable flower press that you and your child can use again and again.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Turn everything from black-eyed susans to hydrangeas into a dried keepsake.

Too, make dried pressed flowers for crafts, homemade potpourri, or to put into a scrapbook.

Kids DIY Flower Press

Besides, this flower press is great for on the go and can be toted around in your backpack to bring your floral treasures home.

Lastly because it’s such a frugal project, everyone can have their own.

We spent $2.00 on wood at Dollar Tree; we had paint and twine already on hand making it a frugal and fun activity with a purpose.

You will need :

  • 2 thin unfinished wood pieces
  • twine
  • hot glue gun/sticks
  • card stock
  • paint 
  • foam brush
How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Directions: 

I found these two unfinished wood pieces at Dollar Tree (my favorite place to find  inexpensive supplies for homeschool projects) in the craft section.

If you don’t find them there you can get any two precut wood pieces from the craft store. Just be sure they are ¼” thick or less.

Paint one side of each of the wooden pieces and allow to dry completely.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Trace around your shape onto cardstock to create layers for your flower press.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Moreover you don’t need more than two layers.

And you can cut extra as you will want to replace them after every few uses due to the moisture it will collect.

Steps for DIY Kids Flower Press

First, cut 2 pieces of twine into two foot lengths.

Then, hot glue one of the pieces of twine to the corner of the painted side of the wood. Secure it well.

On the other piece of wood glue the second length of twine to the opposite corner of the first.

If you prefer to give it a more finished look you can cover it up by glueing on silk flower or greenery like we did here. 

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

To use your flower press lay flowers between sheets of cardstock on the bottom wooden piece, lay the other on top and wrap twine as tightly as you can around the sides, tying it off into a bow.

Next, allow your flowers to sit in the press for 2 or 3 days until flat and fully dry.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Hands-on Ideas for Kids DIY Flower Press

    Try some of these additional hands on activities to expand on your flower explorations!

    • Head outside and gather up flowers from locals fields or your own backyard and try them out on your new flower press. Again, once you have them home search through field guides  or use an app try to identify each.
    • Find out your state flower and try to locate one.
    • Use a real flower to label each of the parts.
    • Plant your own wildflowers after making these Wildflower Seed Bombs.
    • Take apart a flower and identify the parts- petal, pistel, stem, stigma, filament, etc…
    • Use watercolor paint to recreate your flower finds on paper.
    • Dig deep into this Wildflower Unit Study & Lapbook.
    • Futhermore, try to identify at least 10 different types of flowers.
    • Create a flower sensory bin for young children with fresh flowers, leaves, and stems.
    • In addition, young children can also count the petals on the flowers. 
    • Use different types of flowers on long stems as natural paint brushes.
    • Plant a flower garden or even a small container of flowers together.
    How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

    In addition, here are some great resources to help you identify your flower finds in the field or at home.

    If you’re wanting to add a few more activities to this activity, I know you’ll love these ideas below.

    Trees, Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds

    Audubon Field Guide to Flowers

    Pocket Guide to Wildflowers

    Fandex Wildflowers

    Finally, whether you have a budding botanist or love being outdoors, you’ll love making this fun DIY flower press.

    How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

    Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids

    | 2 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

    Your kids will love this honey bees unit study and lapbook. Also, grab more unit studies on my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies,

    Whether you want to learn about how honey bees are fascinating master pollinators, learn about the interesting social activities in the hive, learn about beeswax, or know what is honey, these honey bee activities and resources will be helpful.

    Whether you want to learn about how honey bees are fascinating master pollinators, learn about the interesting social activities in the hive, learn about beeswax, or know what is honey, these honey bee activities and resources will be helpful. You’ll love these fun honey bees lapbook! CLICK HERE to grab it! #lapbook #honeybees #unitstudy #homeschoolscience #handsonlearning

    Next, look at these honey bee resources:

    Bees, wasps, and ants are part of one of the large group of insects, the order Hymenoptera mean “membrane-winged.”

    It comes from the Greek words hymen (membrane) and pteron (wing.)

    Books for Kids About Bees

    Equally important when doing a unit study is to add living books and books to use as the main spine of your study.

    8 Honey Bees Unit Study Resources & Books

    Add some of these fun resources to your bees unit study or spring unit study.

    Bees: A Honeyed History

    One part science, one part cultural history, and countless parts fascination, Bees: A Honeyed History celebrates the important role that these intriguing insects have played in our ecosystem throughout the ages, and today.

    The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses

    Part history book, part handbook, and part cookbook, this illustrated tome covers every facet of the ancient hobby of beekeeping, from how to manage hives safely to harvesting one’s own honey, and ideas for how to use honey and beeswax. Detailed instructions for making candles, furniture polish, beauty products, and nearly 100 honey-themed recipes are included. Honeybees, which are critical in the pollination of popular US produce such as almonds, apples, and blueberries, are actually not native to the Americas. The honeybee that you see dancing from flower to flower in farms and gardens originated in Europe. The introduction of the honeybee began with European colonization of the Americas; before that, wild native bees, other insects, and some birds and mammals pollinated the native flowers of the continent. The honeybee’s ability to pollinate crops, produce honey, and be easily domesticated precipitated the growth in beekeeping all over America.

    Flight of the Honey Bee: Read and Wonder

    Follow the flight of a honey bee as she searches for nectar to sustain her hive and, along the way, pollinates flowers to produce seeds and fruits. Nature lovers and scientists-to-be are invited to explore the fascinating life of a honey bee.

    Life Cycle of a Honey Bee

    Honey Bees are fascinating creatures which have been kept by humans for centuries. Now you can explore the life cycle of the honey bee without being stung. Watch as it grows from an egg, to a larva, and to a pupa before finally emerging as a mature adult.

    Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

    Always a favorite when doing any kind of nature study, there are a few pages that cover different types of bees, common nectar sources, and bee anatomy. If you don't have this set already I cannot recommend it enough for nature studies.

    Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

    One of the companion books to Nature Anatomy, the farm version covers all parts of farming, machinery, and crops but it also caught my eye because it even covers Beekeeping for aspiring beekeepers. It goes over bee terminology, parts of a bee, the parts of a hive, types of bees, flower parts, and beekeeper essentials. These books really put a lot of info into compact parts.

    The Life and Times of the Honeybee

    Why do beekeepers use smoke machines when collecting honey? Can a bee really sting only once? Why do bees "dance"? In concise, detailed text and abundant illustrations that range from the humorous to the scientific, Charles Micucci offers a wide-ranging and spirited introduction to the life cycle, social organization, and history of one of the world's most useful insects.

    The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

    When the Magic School Bus turns into a beehive, Ms. Frizzle's class learns firsthand about how workers, drones, and the queen bees live together. Readers will be abuzz with knowledge as they discover how honeybees find food; make a comb, honey, and beeswax; and care for their young, all from the bee's perspective.

    Honey Bees Unit Study

    First, dive into learning about the life cycle of the honey bee.

    After mating, the queen’s ovaries expand. She is fed nutrient-rich food from the worker bees. Within three or four days she begins laying eggs.

    By day 3 or 4 eggs hatch. Workers begin feeding larvae. By day 8/9 workers seal cell with wax.

    And then the larvae transforms into pupa and from days 16 to 24 queen, workers and drone emerges.

    Honey Bee Life Cycles

    Honey Bees Anatomy

    Next, learn about honey bees anatomy.

    Although each bee in the hive is formed a bit differently because of their occupation, the worker bee has one of the most fascinating jobs.

    Chemistry and Science of Honey

    In addition, learning about the chemistry and science of honey is a fascinating topic. Sure, it’s been said honey is bee puke so you’re kids will love knowing that.

    Also, honey bees collect the sweet nectar from various flowers with their straw like tongues. Then the nectar mixes with enzymes in their stomach and is taken back to the beehive.

    The bees fan the cells full of nectar which draws the moisture out and thickening the nectar to make honey.

    And there are many different types of honey. The color and flavor is determined by the nectar.

    More Honey Bees Unit Study Ideas

    Honey Bees Pollination

    However, the true worth of honey bees is their contribution to the environment through pollination.

    Plants don’t just rely on bees, but need other pollinators like butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, and moths.

    Moreover, for fertilization to occur, the pollen must get from the anther to the stigma.

    Once on the stigma, the pollen grain sends a pollen tube down the style and to the ovary where the pollen’s genetic material combines with the egg’s genetic material.

    What Happens Inside a Hive

    Bee swarm on a fallen tree

    A cloud of bees forming a swarm is spectacular sight. Swarming is the natural means for how new colonies are formed. Beekeepers try to control swarming since it disrupts the hive. When the colony gets to a certain size, the current queen leaves with thousands of workers and creates a new nest elsewhere.

    Language Art Ideas for Studying Honey Bees

    Too, some of our sayings or idioms comes from bees. How fun. Your student can write some of them down and learn their meaning.

    Look at a few expressions or idioms we get from bees.

    • queen bee – Queen bee refers to a dominant female.
    • busy as a bee – Busy as a bee means we’re working hard.
    • bees knees – The bees knees means something or someone who is admired or great and all things are sweet and good.
    • bee in your bonnet – You wouldn’t want a bee trapped in your hat. So bee in your bonnet would mean something or someone that is aggravating you.
    • the birds and the bees – This is a gracious way of saying you’re going to be talking about how babies are made or sex.
    • spelling or quilting bee – We use it today to mean children who come together to compete in spelling, but it’s been thought that it derived from the social interaction in a beehive. Hence, folks gather for social bees of different kinds whether it’s sewing or quilting.

    Vocabulary words for a honey bee unit study.

    Additionally, look at these vocabulary words.

    • pollen – powder-like material produced by the anthers of flowering plants
    • apiarist – Beekeeper.
    • apiary – A bee yard.
    • hive – The structure in which bees live and are kept.
    • honeycomb – A sheet of hexagonal wax cells made by honey bees to store honey, pollen, and brood.
    • drone – The male honey bee.
    • swarming – The natural process of how new colonies are formed.
    • worker bee – A female bee. The majority of the honey bees are worker bees. They do all the work in the colony except for laying fertile eggs.
    • pollinator – an animal that moves pollen from the anther to the stigma of a plant
    • colony – The colony is the living unit of tens of thousands of workers, drones, and a queen.
    • brood – Eggs, larvae, and pupae.
    • cell –  the hexagonal comb built by honeybees.
    • royal jelly – It is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae, as well as adult queens.
    • virgin queen – A queen bee who has not mated.
    • scout bees – Bees who look for new nesting areas in preparation for a swarm and are normally familiar with the area.

    Free Books
    Hear a Librivox recording of The Children’s Life of the Bee by Maurice Maeterlinck.
    The Behavior of the Honey Bee in Pollen Collection by Dana Brackenridge Casteel

    Honey Bee Teachers Guides & Activity Guides

    Finally, you’ll love a roundup of some fantastic honey bee teaching guides.

    Honey Bee Lapbook

    You can purchase my honey bee lapbook below, but look at how I created it.

    Too, the resource I used is The Beekeeper’s Bible.

    I used this because it’s the book I had. It was very thorough in explaining about honey bees. This lapbook is focused on honey bees, and not so much beekeeping.

    Awesome features of my honey bees lapbooks:

    • You are paying for the printables, the lapbook.
    • My lapbooks are created for multiple ages and geared toward older children unless I specifically state that it’ is’ for a certain age.
    • Most of the minibooks have facts which accompany the minibook and a lot of the minibook are offered two ways. One way where your child uses the facts provided and another way where your child can add his own research and not use the inside pages.
    • You do not need to use The Beekeeper’s Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses. It’s the book I had and the one we liked.
    • You can use any reference materials, books, or online resources to complete the lapbook.
    • I don’t provide links in the lapbooks for filling out the information. This keeps my prices low for my products, but I do try to provide free links on my site as I can.
    • Because I do use a combination of cursive or script and print, I aim my lapbooks toward upper elementary up to high school.
    • Another way which I aim my lapbooks toward older children is that I avoid using baby-ish or goofy looking clip art. I spend many hours culling through images and purchasing ones that are correct and highest quality.
    • Because I have been a working homeschool mom for more of my journey than not, I need flexibility for using lapbooks. Proving a few facts from the main resource I use is one way I have of saving you time and giving you flexibility in how to use the minibooks.
    • Too, some of your kids may be older and you want them to do more research and some of your kids may be reluctant writers so you may want to mix and match pre-filled minibooks with blank minibooks. Flexibility is the key to my lapbooks.

    Other nature unit studies you’ll love.

    20 Nature-Inspired Kids’ Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors

    | Leave a Comment
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

    This list of twenty nature-inspired kids novels are the types of books which helps kids connect to the outdoors. These nature novels can be part of any curriculum or stand alone. Also, look at How to Put Together a Middle School Nature Study With Book List.

    Whether you’re wanting kids to step away from their devices, looking for a nature-inspired book for a unit study, or you want to inspire your kid’s inner naturalist, look at this roundup of books.

    20 Nature-Inspired Kids' Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors

    Nature Novels For Kids

    1.
    Call of the Wild by Jack London for ages 12 and up.

    The Illustrated Call of the Wild: Original First Edition

    A classic story of survival from the perspective of Buck, a kidnapped Saint Bernard who is forced into being a sled dog during the Klondike Gold Rush.

    Set in the Alaskan wilderness during the 1890s, the descriptions are stunning and take readers right to the freezing temperatures of the Yukon.

    2.
    Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell for ages 8 to 12.

    Island of the Blue Dolphins

    A young girl is left deserted on a pacific island off the coast of California. Karana must forage for food, build weapons for protection, and make clothes for covering.

    A story of strength and resilience that will inspire. Beautifully written and perfect taking the readers to an island filled with dolphins, otters, and sea birds.

    These activities will go along with this book.

    3.
    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain for ages 12 and up.

    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Original Illustrations

    This classic, set near the Mississippi River in the 1840s follows Tom and his adventures through plenty of outdoor shenanigans.

    Look at this activity Lewis & Clark – Mighty Mississippi book & Sediment Activity to go along with this book.

    Travel to the river with Tom and Huck with this fully illustrated edition!

    Nature Books for Kids

    4.
    Hatchet by Gary Paulson ages 11 and up.

    Hatchet

    The sole survivor of a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian Roberson, finds himself stranded in the Canadian wilderness. He must fend for himself.

    Brian slowly learns the survivor skills he needs to stay alive, building shelter, making fire, and foraging for food.

    This novel takes the reader through a fifty-four-day journey of perseverance that forever changes a young man and his perspective about life and family. 

    Gary Paulson has many other novels that are set in the wilderness, and spends his personal time split between Alaska, New Mexico, Minnesota, and the Pacific.

    Nature Book List for Kids

    This book takes readers on an eco-adventure full of everything from the town’s well know bully to potty-trained alligators. There is a movie that would make a fun follow-up too.

    5.
    Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling for ages 8 to 12.

    Paddle-to-the-Sea (Sandpiper Books)

    Follow a young boy as he travels from The Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean in this adventurous novel that brings geography to life.

    20 Nature-Inspired Kids’ Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors

    This author has many other titles perfect for nature study.

    The Secret Garden (HarperClassics)

    6.
    The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett for ages 9 to 12.

    An orphaned girl is sent to live with her great uncle and discovers a secret garden on his Yorkshire Moors property.

    The lush garden is the young girl’s only escape.

    This edition is beautifully illustrated by Tasha Tudor. Recreate some of the pictures or draw a scene from the book. 

    7.
    The Secret Lake by Karen Inglis for ages 8 to 12.

    The Secret Lake: A children’s mystery adventure

    This book is a time-traveling mystery adventure of two kids who find a pathway to a secret lake and one hundred years old garden.

    Nancy Drew meets The Secret Garden in this modern novel sure to become a favorite. 

    Nature-Based Fiction for Kids

    8.
    The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare for ages 10 to 12.

    The Sign of the Beaver

    Thirteen-year-old Matt is left to survive on his own in the Maine wilderness.

    This is a story filled with descriptive detail about survival in the wilderness and the relationships between settlers and natives in the 1700s.

    Look at my other activities here to go along with this book.

    9.
    The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Davide Wyss for ages 10 and up.

    The Swiss Family Robinson (An Illustrated Classic)

    A classic story of one family’s survival after being shipwrecked in the East Indies on their way to Australia.

    They live on a deserted island for ten years. A book filled with adventure, lots of exotic animals, and plenty of survival skills.

    Also, look at my Free Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study And Easy DIY Water Filter.

    10.
    The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey for ages High School.

    The Snow Child: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize in Letters: Fiction Finalists)

    Set in snowy Alaska in 1920, a couple desperate for a baby, build a child out of snow.

    The next morning the snow is gone, but a young girl is found running in the woods.

    She hunts with a red fox by her side and survives on her own in the Alaskan wilderness.

    The couple’s lives are changed forever, as they grow to love the child as their own.

    11.
    My Side of The Mountain by Jean Craighead George for ages 8 to 12.

    My Side of the Mountain (Puffin Modern Classics)

    Sam Gribley runs away from New York City to the mountains and must survive on his own.

    The descriptions of nature are detailed, and it is the perfect choice for learning real-life survival skills.

    The book’s rich vocabulary will make for a great read-aloud.

    Our Journey Westward

    Kids Novels to Inspire the Love of Outdoors

    12.
    Summer of The Woods by Stephen K. Smith for ages 8 to 12.

    Summer of the Woods (The Virginia Mysteries)

    A summer packed with outdoor adventure! Follow these kids as they discover the Virginian woods where they find secret caves, rushing waters, and rare treasure. 

    These books would be awesome for a state study of Virginia, as there are several more in the series that takes the reader to historical sites throughout the state.

    13.
    The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle for ages 13 and up.

    The Last Unicorn

    A lone unicorn ventures out on her own to find more of her kind.

    Set in an enchanted forest, readers escape to the wood with this classic fantasy fiction.

    14.
    The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame for ages 8 and up.

    The Wind in the Willows

    Four animals live among the Thames Valley in England.

    A classic novel about adventure, morality, and friendship is also well known for its depiction of nature.

    The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot (1))

    15.
    The Wild Robot by Peter Brown for ages 10 to 12.

    Can a Robot survive in the wild? Find out as Roz learns to survive the wilderness.

    Fans of the movie Wall-E will enjoy this adventurous story about the clash of technology and nature.

    The book includes lots of descriptions of nature and animals.

    Riding the Flume (Aladdin Historical Fiction)

    16.
    Riding the Fume by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch for ages 11 to 13.

    Set among the giant sequoia trees in California, the novel is about a young girl faced with the discovery that her sister who died years earlier may still be alive. A must-read!

    Living Books About Nature

    Nature Girl

    17.
    Nature Girl by Jane Kelly for ages 8 to 12.

    Eleven-year-old Megan is without internet and TV in the Vermont woods for the summer.

    Our Journey Westward

    When she gets lost on the Appalachian Trail, she decides to hike all the way to Massachusetts where her best friend lives.

    Get ready for a hike with this adventure novel!

    18.
    Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls for ages 9 to 14.

    Where the Red Fern Grows

    Set in the hills of the Ozarks, young Billy, and his two dogs explore the countryside.

    This is a timeless tale of love and loss and the special bond between a boy and his best friends, two pups named Old Dan and Little Ann.

    19.
    Wish by Barabra O’Connor for ages 9 to 12.

    Wish

    Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, a young girl makes the same wish every after year.

    This is a sweet story about a girl and a newfound furry friend.

    20.
    The Lost Book of Adventure     for ages 7 and up.

    You’ll be transported by riveting adventure tales from around the globe, like being dragged off by a hyena in Botswana, surviving a Saharan dust storm, being woken by an intrepid emperor penguin in Antarctica, and coming face-to-face with a venomous bushmaster (one of the most dangerous snakes on the planet)—all told in lyrical prose and illustrations that wonder at the mysterious beauty of the wild.

    I hope one of these 20 nature-inspired books will teach your kids about nature and revive a love of the great outdoors.

    Look at some of these other ideas:

    Kinder Gardening to Celebrate Nature and Science

    | Leave a Comment
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

    Today I’ve rounded up some fun things to get the next generation of green thumbs digging in the dirt. I wished I had started gardening earlier with my kids, but your littles will love these kinder gardening resources to celebrate nature and science.

    Kids Garden Unit Study Resources

    Look at this adorable Radio Flyer big-kid wheelbarrow. Your kids will love to haul their own plants or just dirt. No intimidation here when they have their own kid-sized wheelbarrow for hauling.

    Also, grab these fun crocs which are easy to clean and your littlest gardener is ready for his big kid project – well almost!

    One thing that held me back from putting my kids in charge of their own garden was the lack of room in one place we lived while homeschooling.

    When we got to move out to the more scenic and country areas where we had wide open spaces, gardening was easier.

    It wasn’t so easy to do a fun science garden unit study when we lived in the city or in our smaller home which is why I loved these next fun things.

    Kid Science in the Garden

    These adorable growing your own herb kits are just the perfect kid-sized project. This raised bed is the perfect working height for little kids.

    A huge plus is that you can take all of these things with you or move them around as you need to.

    Then sneak in some fun ways to learn about gardening with this this flower families go fish game.

    Add in some bug bingo for a creative way to learn about bugs from all over the world and you’ve added in a touch of geography.

    You can also add in fun boxed craft ideas like this greenhouse from Groovy Lab in a Box.

    Then, of course no unit study about gardening is complete without fun books.

    With Seedfolks you can add in cultural awareness into your unit study which is a nice twist while learning about nature and science. Grab the Teacher’s Guide to the book and you’ll have a ready-made unit study.

    Including a good amount of nonfiction living book ensures that a kid will find science in the garden fun as you avoid boring textbooks.

    Not only will your kids love doing what they naturally like doing at this age which is being outside digging in dirt and playing with water, but it teaches kids valuable life skills.

    Independence to care for their basic essentials and a sustaining food source are life skills you want your little kinder gardeners to have.

    You’ll love these other unit study ideas and activities to add to your own study.