With the arrival of summer and sunny days, it would be a shame not to spend time in the garden or at the park with your little explorer. The first flowers are blooming in the meadows, among daisies and tulips, which, with their colors and perfection, are a true treasure of nature. Flowers offer an endless variety of educational and fun activities for children and are a valuable ally in helping them develop different skills and knowledge: a broader vocabulary, observation skills, and an understanding of the natural cycle.

Teaching children the language of flowers can be a fun and educational activity. The language of flowers, also known as floriography , is the art of expressing feelings and emotions through flowers .

ACTIVITY 1: teach children the language of flowers

Floriography is a communication system that uses flowers to express feelings, emotions, and messages . Each flower has a specific meaning and can be used to express a particular emotion or message. For example, the red rose symbolizes passionate love, while the lily represents purity and beauty.

The language of flowers also relies on the use of colors and numbers. For example, a yellow rose can represent friendship, while a bouquet of seven flowers can mean "I love you".

How can you turn a simple walk in the woods or in the garden into an educational moment?

• Choose some common flowers like the rose, the sunflower, the daisy, and the tulip, and explain to children their meaning .

• Read books together: There are many children's books that tell the story of flowers and their language. Read these books together to deepen your knowledge of flowers and their meanings.

• Create small projects with flowers, for example, making flower crowns or bouquets with a special meaning.

• Play with flowers as if they were cards, asking children to match the meaning of the flower with its image.

And if you really don’t know what to do on a weekend… visit a botanical garden !

ACTIVITY 2: the cycle of nature - the seasons

Learning about the different seasons, and the flowers, fruits, and vegetables found in each one, can help children understand the cycle of life and nature that surrounds us. Children can learn which flowers bloom in spring, which in summer, and which in autumn. Then you can play fun games, such as searching for flowers in the garden or racing to see who can find the most during a certain time of year.

How can you involve children in learning the seasons?

Some activities to do together with your child.

• Find the differences: show your child images and photographs of the different seasons and encourage them to spot the differences and talk about what they see.

• Discovering the 5 senses: explore the different seasons through the senses. Let them enjoy the fragrance of flowers in spring, the warmth of the sun in summer, the freshness of the air and the smell of leaves in autumn, and the cold snow or frosted glass with condensation in winter.
  Gather flowers in spring, have a picnic in the park in summer, collect leaves in autumn, and build a snowman in winter.

• The power of reading: children's picture books—both "mirrors" (to look inside oneself and discover oneself) and "windows" (to discover the wonders of the world and live imaginary adventures)—help your child visualize and better understand the different seasons.

• Observe nature: take outdoor walks in every season so your child can notice the changes in nature.

• Drawing from life: have children draw the flowers they saw in the garden. This activity helps them develop observation skills and graphic representation. You can also use their drawings to teach them to distinguish between different types of flowers.

• Create a calendar of seasonal fruit and vegetables: to help children learn the seasonality of what they eat, too. Download the PDF of our calendar below!

ACTIVITY 3: Fun DIY

CREATE BUNCHES OF FLOWERS

One of the simplest activities is making flower bouquets! You can pick flowers from the garden or park and create small bouquets. It’s a perfect activity for children, who can learn to pick flowers safely and arrange them creatively.

PERFUMES AND ROOM SPRAYS

Another fun activity is making scents or room sprays using flower petals. You can use flowers such as lavender, rosemary, or mint for natural, fresh fragrances.

You can place flower petals in a container with demineralized water and leave them to infuse for a few days. After that, you can filter the mixture and use it to create your own perfume or room spray.

FRAMES AND COLLAGES WITH FLOWERS

You can use flower petals to make paintings or collages. Additionally, by pressing them, flowers can leave beautiful prints on paper.

Using flowers as stamps is easy: simply paint the petals with acrylic paints and then use them to make prints on paper.

MARIGOLD JEWELRY

Create bracelets or necklaces using dried or fresh flower petals.

Recipe for edible flower salad

Finally, flowers can also be eaten—did you know?

If you know wildflowers well, you can pick them together with your child directly in the garden or in fields not frequented by dogs. Flowers have very different flavors, such as the nasturtium, which has a slightly spicy taste reminiscent of mustard. More delicate flowers include borage, violets, and daisies, which are suitable for salads and desserts. Untreated rose petals and dahlias are also edible.

Here is our recipe for a summer flower salad!

Frequently Asked Questions