Have you brought glue and paper outside to the sandbox yet for some fun sand art? If not, today is the day to have some outdoor fun and learning!

Sand Art | Outdoor Fun and Learning

Materials needed:

• Sand
• Paper or Card Stock
• School Glue

It’s craft projects like these where it may be beneficial in investing in the refill 1 Gallon Jug of glue.

Directions

1. Bring the paper and glue outside.

2. Let the kids make any design or image they want to with the glue. * Squeezing the glue is a great fine motor strengthening activity.

3. Lightly poor sand on the top of the glue image.

4. Gently shake off.

5. Set on a table to dry. If it’s a windy day, use rocks to hold it down.

6. Repeat as many times as desired.

Literacy Connections

While your projects are drying, connect this Sand Art activity with a cute book about Sand:

Llama Llama Sand and Sun

Sand Cake (A Frank Asch Bear Book)

The Sand Castle Contest

If you enjoyed this Sand Art Activity you may also enjoy these….

Let’s dive into the ocean with these colorful books!

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ocean Books for Kids

As a mom and teacher here I’m sharing with you my favorite ocean themed books to read with your child. I’ve classified the books into various ocean animals like fish, whales, sharks, and more to easily find what your child is interested in at this moment.

You can use our Table of Content for quick book browsing.

Each of the ocean book categories also has ocean themed activities to go with the books as well. Perfect for book extension or a book club activity. You could even host an ocean playdate!

Start your journey to the ocean with a few Ocean Virtual Field Trips!

A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea by Jessica Law

Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae

Deep in the Ocean by Lucie Brunellière

A Dive into the Deep by Tessa Pfeifer

Hello, World! Ocean Life by Jill McDonald

Over and Under the Waves by Kate Messner

The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor by Joanna Cole

Where Do Ocean Creatures Sleep at Night? by Steven J. Simmons

Ocean Themed Activities for Kids:

• Beach Themed Muffin Tin Syllable Game
• Sight Word Game with Sand and Seashells
• 38 Ocean Themed Activities for Kids
• Virtual Field Trip to the Ocean
• 10 Ocean Activities for Summer Fun
• Host an Ocean Themed Playdate
• Under the Sea Paper Plate Craft
• Ocean Sand Art Project
• Ocean Animal Coffee Filter Craft
• Visit your Local Aquarium

Crab Books

A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle

The Brave Little Crab by Beth Costanzo

You’re a Crab!: A Moody Day Book by Jenny Whitehead

Crab Activities:

• Watercolor House for Hermit Crab Puppets
• Paper Plate Crab Craft
• Handprint Hermit Crab

Coral Reef Books

On Kiki’s Reef by Carol Malnor

Coral Reefs by Gail Gibbons

The World of Coral Reefs by Erin Spencer

Corel Reef Activities

• Coral Reef Activities for Preschool
• Coral Reef Art Project
• Coral Reef Printmaking Project
• Light Up Reef Craft

Fish Books

Swimmy by Leo Lionni

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Only One You by Linda Kranz

Fish Everywhere by Britta Teckentrup

Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert

The Secret Life of Fish: The Astonishing Truth about our Aquatic Cousins by Doug Mackay-Hope

Fish Activities:

• Fish Art and Science Craft Idea
• Swimming Fish Letter Game
• Paper Plate Fish Craft
• Fish Themed Sight Word Game

Octopus Books

Inky the Octopus by Erin Guendelsberger

The Octopus Escapes by Maile Meloy

Octopus Escapes Again! by Laurie Ellen Angus

Octopus Opposites by Stella Blackstone

Octopus Activities:

• Fine Motor Octopus Craft
• Cardboard Bubble Wrap Octopus Craft
• Easy Paper Octopus Craft
• Octopus “O” Craft
• Paper Plate Octopus Craft

Shark Books

Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating

Save the Sharks by Bethany Stahl

Sharks by Gail Gibbons

Want more? Explore our large collection of Shark Books for Kids!

Shark Activities:

• Shark Activities for Kids
• Crayon Resist Whale Shark Art Project
• Finding Shark Teeth with Kids

Seashell Books

What Lives in a Shell? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

Seashells: More Than a Home by Melissa Stewart

It’s a Seashell Day by Dianne Ochiltree

The Beachcomber’s Companion by Anna Marlis Burgard

A Shell Is Cozy by Dianna Hutts Aston

The Mother’s Day Shell by Amelia Grantham

Seashell Activities:

• Watercolor Seashell Craft
• Alphabet Seashell Game
• Sight Word Seashell Game
• Rainbow Seashell Art Project
• Storytelling Seashells
• Shell Necklace Craft

Ocean Sea Life Books for Kids

Seashells, Crabs and Sea Stars: Take-Along Guide by Christiane Kump Tibbitts

Spencer and Vincent, the Jellyfish Brothers by Tony Johnston

Think of an Eel: Read and Wonder by Karen Wallace

Artie the Pufferfish: A book about a fish’s creative journey by Diana Mulder

A Dolphin’s Wish: How YOU Can Help Make a Difference and Save Our Oceans by Trevor McCurdie

Save the Ocean (Save the Earth) by Bethany Stahl

Ocean Animal Activities:

• Paper Chalk Art Jellyfish Craft
• Suncatcher Jellyfish Craft
• Bouncy Ball Stamped Pufferfish Kids Craft

Sea Otter Books

Good Night, Little Sea Otter by Janet Halfmann

If You Take Away the Otter by Susannah Buhrman-Deever

Together (Emma Dodd’s Love You Books) by Emma Dodd

Sea Otter Activities:

• Paper Bag Sea Otter Craft
• Sea Otter Lunch Bag Puppet
• Sea Otter Paper Plate Craft

Seahorse Books

Sully the Seahorse: A book about self-esteem and resilience by Natalie Pritchard

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

Amazing Red Seahorses: Facts For Kids by Aaliyah Aaberg

SeaHorse: Fun Facts on Water Animals for Kids by Michelle Hawkins

Seahorse Activities:

• Seahorse Craft for Kids with Lacing Practice
• Watercolor Seahorse Craft
• Seahorse Art Project
• Watercolor Stencil Seahorse Art Project

Sea Turtle Books

One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies

Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau

Sea Turtles by Gail Gibbons

Little Turtle and the Changing Sea by Becky Davies

Poky, the Turtle Patrol by Diana Kanan

June Moon by Kathleen Souza

Into the Sea by Brenda Z. Guiberson

Sea Turtle Journey – a Smithsonian Oceanic Collection by Lorraine A. Jay

Sea Turtle Activities:

• Sea Turtle Life Cycle Flextangles
• Oil Pastels Sea Turtle Art Project
• Bubble Wrap Design Sea Turtle Craft for Kids
• Sea Turle Bookmark Corner
• DIY Sea Turtle Stamp Art Project
• Sea Turtle Sun Catcher

Whale Books

Whales by Gail Gibbons

The Heart of a Whale by Anna Pignataro

If I Were a Whale by Shelley Gill

The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson

Rory: An Orca’s Quest For The Northern Lights by Sarah Cullen & Carmen Ellis

Breathe by Scott Magoon

The World of Whales: Get to Know the Giants of the Ocean by Darcy Dobell

Baby Beluga by Raffi

The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond

I’m a Narwhal (Little Golden Book) by Mallory Loehr

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton

The Lost Narwhal by Tori McGee

Whale Activities for Kids

• Egg Carton Whale Craft
• Popsicle Sticks Whale Craft
• Watercolor Whale Craft
• Easy Origami Whale
• Whale Paper Craft

Non-Fiction Ocean Books

Marine Biologists on a Dive (Kid Scientist) by Sue Fliess

The Fascinating Ocean Book for Kids: 500 Incredible Facts! by Bethanie & Josh Hestermann

Ultimate Oceanpedia by Christina Wilsdon

Big Book of the Blue (The Big Book Series) by Yuval Zommer

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne

The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs by Kate Messner

Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the World under the Sea by Julia Rothman

Look Inside Seas and Oceans by Megan Cullis

Secrets Of The Sea: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist by Evan Griffith

Explore Earth’s Five Oceans by Bobbie Kalma

The Ultimate Collection of Ocean Themed Books and Activities for Kids

There are so many great books about the ocean for kids, many are recently published. Which one on this list are you planning to read first with your child?

Did I miss your favorite ocean book? Please tell me in the comments below which is your favorite!

For more book themed fun with your child, be sure to sign up for our free Virtual Book Club for Kids.

You may also enjoy these ocean themed activities for your child…

Explore these popular Ocean Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Story Telling Sea Shells

Since fairy tales often take place “Once Upon A Time,” and began as oral stories, we decided to make a set of storytelling stones for each book. I’ve seen several amazing tutorials and was inspired by others such as this story stone post.

These stones can be used for retelling the story or making up a different story using the same items.

Of course, as luck would have it, we couldn’t find a single rock or stone near our house. We even walked around the neighborhood and found two single stones. A little bummed we headed home and got to talking about the book.

Somehow, the conversation switched to sea shells (which we have a ton of) and the kids decided to make Story Sea Shells… which of course can be used in the same way!!!! And I thought connected even better with the text than stones!

Materials Needed:

• Clean shells
• Newspaper
• Acrylic paints
• Plastic lid
• Paintbrush

Directions on how to make the storytelling sea shells.

1. Set the clean shells insides up on the newspaper.

2. Pour a small amount of paint onto a plastic lid. Set near the shells.

3. Encourage your child to paint pictures of characters and places from the fairy tales they know.

4. Allow the shells to dry.

We had mermaids, fish, green treasure box, a crown, a horse drawn carriage and many more.  

It was wonderful that as the kids painted, the discussed the details in the book and tried to add shells to represent some of these details. Of course, they added their own ideas too!

Directions on how to make the storytelling sea shells.

• Select a few shells.
• Make sure to grab at least one character and one place.
• Write your favorite stories down on paper.
• Share these stories with a family member.

We LOVE fairy tales! Click here to see our Whatever After Book Launch Party

If you liked this sea shell craft idea, you may also like these… Save

This guarantees that every child’s fish will be unique and makes it theirs.

Open Ended Fish Art and Science Project

Best for ages 4-7.

Science learning objective: Identifies 3 parts of a fish. These may include, body, tail, dorsal fin, pectoral fin, pelvic fin, gills, fins, or lateral line.

What is this open ended fish art and science project best for?

I like to set out open ended projects, meaning, each child’s finished project looks totally different, on the dining room table for after school learning.  These open ended projects also work well in a classroom setting for either a science, literacy or art lesson.

They can be done in either whole group or small learning stations. Tracing, cutting, and painting provide children with opportunities to use small tools, which can assist in strengthening fine motor. Using a variety of materials such as paint sticks encourages creative thinking. Teaching kids about the fish habitat and parts of a fish brings in the science.

Affiliate links to products.

Materials Needed for Open Ended Fish Art and Science Project

Here are the items that you will need:

• Tagboard
• Construction paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Tempera paint and Pastels OR
• Kwik Stix

Before Starting:

Read the book Fish Eyes, a Book You Can Count on by Lois Ehlert. This book is great for young children ages 2-6. It is perfect addition to the early childhood classroom or home environment because

• It’s fun and simple
• Has height colored illustrations
• Includes the numbers and number words in numerical order
• Focuses on the addition concept of plus one.

Directions for Open Ended Fish Art and Science Project

1. First, make a fish pattern for the body and tail.  Make several different templates for children to choose from. Label as pattern or template.
2. Then, have the children select and trace their template.
3. Let the children draw on the dorsal, pectoral, pelvic fin onto the body of their fish.  Encourage them to use a triangle, rectangle or square.
4. Cut the fish out.
5. Last, paint the fish. Make sure to add the lateral line, fish eyes, scales, and patterns.

Option 1: Paint with tempera paint. Let dry. Then draw on the lateral line, scales, and patterns with crayons.

Option 2: Paint lateral line, scales, and patters with Kwik Stix These are a fast drying paint that my kids love.

See our Triangle lesson where we used them here.

What to do with the open ended fish art and science project when you are done?

You can:

• Have kids write a sentence about their fish.
• Send them home with the kids.
• Count all the fish you made. Make up a story about the fish.
• Glue the fish on white pieces of paper. Make a kid-made book to read. Write a sentence on each page. Staple the pages together on the left.
• Collect all the fish. Hang the completed fish from the Open Ended Fish Art + Science Project on a bulletin board. Count how many fish there are.  Make that number and number word with a bright colored construction paper. Add the words: fish you can count on. So if there are 10 fish, your bulletin board would say, 10 Ten fish you can count on.

You may also enjoy these ocean inspired activities for kids…

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Here’s what happened when I had both my 2 year old and my 6 year old created their very own artwork for their Daddy.

Click here for an easy Mother’s Day Craft Idea

*This post contains affiliate links

Easy Father’s Day Craft for Kids to Make 

Supplies Needed

• Paint
• Construction Paper
• Printed DAD
• Shape of Dad and Child(ren)
• Scissors

Instructions 

Grab a big sheet of construction paper and some DAD colored paints.

Print and cut out this outline of DAD.  Click here for FREE Printable 

Tape it down and let your kids Paint over it making sure to keep the sides down on the taped images.  You can also use rubber cement for this step to make it a smoother surface when complete.

You can see how each age did a varied version of the Father’s Day Art Work. We still keep them both up on our walls to remember their creativity!

My 6 year old have fun making this one using her own individualized drawing of her and Daddy!

My 2 year old have fun making this version using just circles for the heads that we drew on together at the end of her and her big brother, big sister and Daddy. I love how this project works for various ages!

Looking for more? Print out our Father’s Day Poem Idea to complete with your child as a Father’s Day Gift too! Make an adorable DIY Papasaurus T-shirt !

Fathers Day Books

Here’s a sweet collection of books about Daddy for your child to enjoy this father’s day with their Dad.

This idea was inspired from our Mother’s Day  Painting and Poem!

Here are some additional ideas to do with your child this Father’s Day…

This post contains affiliate links to amazon.

Here’s a fun art project for Mother’s Day that is sure to be a big hit!

Here’s fun way to show a MOM how colorful and special she is to you. We’re making a resist paint art project using a little help from one of our favorite stories.

Perfect for a quick Mother’s Day Craft to do with your class or playgroup too! Let’s get started!

{Disclosure Affiliate Links to Amazon}

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Mouse Paint is a classic story that I highly recommend for all children to read. Three sweet little mice explore what happens when they combine red, yellow and blue.

It’s the perfect way to introduce primary and secondary colors in a magical way.

Easy Mother’s Day Craft Idea

For our Mother’s day craft we are following along in the footsteps of the mice and created our own special rainbow footprints. Gather your supplies first.

Then read the story and discuss what happens when the mice put their painted feet into different colors. Reading it first gives each child a little background building in color mixing before they paint their Mother’s Day project.

You can watch a video on how to make this here.

Easy Mother’s Day Craft Project Supplies

• Printed Mom Cut Out {PRINT HERE} 
• Plain Piece of Paper or Cardstock
• Scissors
• Tape
• Red, Yellow and Blue Paint
• Paint Brush
• 3 Containers or paper plates for mixing colors

Click here to DOWNLOAD AND PRINT 

Cut out the word MOM first before you begin. For older children leave could even create their own outline. Now you’re ready to do some Mouse painting for Mom with a wonderful surprise.

Before you begin painting tape onto your plain piece of paper lightly, you’ll want this to come off later. Allow your child to choose the placement for a little creative choice.

First paint with the brush red and yellow prints on the page and then mix the two colors to create Orange and then create orange prints onto the page. Then repeat with the yellow and blue and red and blue.

As they are making prints onto the paper encourage them to cover the secret message on the paper. Remind them to take caution and not lift up the word MOM at anytime while painting.

Once they have covered the paper they have created all of the colors of the rainbow on the paper. Now it’s time to lift up the MOM paper and see the surprise word!

Just as the mice saved a white spot to hide from the mouse in the story we’ve saved a special place for our MOM. Turn it upside down and it also says WOW!

Yes, I know it’s the little things my 6 year old notices that crack me up.

Once your painting is dry it’s ready to give to a special MOM for Mother’s Day! CLICK HERE for a free Printable “My Mom is a Rainbow Poem” to go with your Project. 

Don’t forget DAD, here’s a fun twist using the word for Father’s Day CLICK HERE

Looking for more Mother’s Day Craft ideas for MOM?

If you like this idea you might like these other MOTHER’S DAY IDEAS

• Easy Mother’s Day Craft  
• DIY Flower Bouquet for Mothers’ Day
• Mother’s Day Star Themed Card 
• Acts of Kindness for Mom
• Handprint Card for Mother’s Day 

 Happy Mother’s Day from The Educators’ Spin On It!

In this article I’ll show you how to create an “acts of kindness” bouquet with your kids. It’s the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, a birthday, teacher appreciation or anytime someone special needs a lift.

Look below for a few variations that are perfect for the male role model in your child’s life, too!

Why Make a Kindness Bouquet? 

As a parent, you strive to raise well-rounded kids who think of others. With busy schedules, you need to make the most of every opportunity. Wrapping acts of kindness into a special gift is certainly a way to do that.

Coming up with unique gift ideas can be a challenge, especially if you are trying to say thank you to someone who cares for you. Seriously, how do you wrap up love and appreciation?
Every woman loves a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The only thing a parent, grandparent or teacher loves more is a gift that kids make themselves.

An act of kindness bouquet is the perfect solution.

During this fun project, you and your kids will make kindness flowers using paper, paint and assorted art supplies and then add an “act of kindness” to each flower. Each act is a promise to do something special for the recipient of the gift.

You could also incorporate these flowers into a Mothers’ Day Scavenger Hunt.

DIY Flower Bouquet for Mother’s Day

It’s important to encourage your kids to pause and think of all the things that parents, teachers and friends do for them every day, and to think of acts of kindness they can do in return. Then put those ideas into action with this gift.

Plus these simple ideas can be used beyond the days surrounding special occasions. These random (and not so random) acts can become part of your routine, practiced throughout the year.

Materials for Painted Flowers Bouquet 

• Paper
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Recycled Objects for Stamping
• Pen
• Scissors
• Marker or crayons
• Tape
• Something to use as a flower stem (sticks, bamboo skewers, pencils, pipe cleaners, etc.)
• Ribbon
• Vase or box

Are you ready to make a kindness bouquet?

#1: Paint Kindness Flowers

To start, make 10 fun kindness flowers with your kids.
Have them take a few sheets of paper and paint all over them. Your kids can paint freeform or use random objects to create designs on the paper.

If you want to use items to create a pattern or design, try cotton swabs, cotton balls, lids, corks and straw. It’s important to cover each sheet of paper thoroughly.

Note: Make sure your kids know that they’re not necessarily painting shapes to look like flowers—that part will come later.

Messiness in this process is encouraged. Just have paper towels close by.
Give the painted paper time to dry before you go on to the next step. This is the perfect opportunity to start brainstorming lists for the acts of kindness.

#2: Write Down Kindness Gifts

Sit down with your kids and talk about things that would be nice to do for the recipient of the bouquet. They’ll probably surprise you and come up with some great ideas for Mom, Grandma, Auntie or their favorite teacher at school. These written-down acts will be promises, chores or additional creative gifts that your kids will do throughout the month.

Click here for 40 Ideas for Acts of Kindness for Mothers’ Day  

Once you have your list, discuss which “gifts” are truly possible and pick 10 of your favorites.

Have your child write the finalized kindness acts on small slips of paper. Set them aside and go back to working on the flowers.

#3: Create Kindness Flowers

Once your painted paper is dry, you can go on to make the kindness flowers. Trace around a premade flower outline, a stencil drawn by your child or a large flower-shaped cookie cutter and have your child cut the flowers out of the paper.

Note: Younger kids may need help cutting intricate shapes. We cut the painted papers into quarters to make it easier for little hands.

#4: Assemble Your Kindness Bouquet

Once you cut out all the flowers, use tape to connect each one to a stem made from a stick, bamboo skewer, pencil or pipe cleaner.

Remember the acts of kindness you wrote on slips of paper? Attach each act of kindness to a flower stem, below the bloom. Just place the paper against the stem and tape it. Feel free to add extra paper to use as leaves for the flowers.

Next, tie a ribbon around the bouquet or arrange the flowers into a vase.

Note: You may want to add glass beads, marbles or something similar to the bottom of the vase. That will help keep it stable and help you arrange the paper flowers.

When you give the gift, explain that each flower represents a gift the receiver can redeem at any time. Draw a small picture—a heart, perhaps—on each flower as it’s redeemed.

Voilà! The perfect gift! One made with paper, paint and lots of love. And a great way to teach your kids to be kind and grateful.

Here are some additional Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Kids below:

Some Final Thoughts…
In this busy technocentric society, it’s important to give our children tools to express empathy and reach out to others with kindness. These fun acts should inspire joy, as well as a love of helping—and surprising—others! A kindness bouquet is the perfect way to turn these acts into a cherished present.

What do you think? How did the DIY Flower Bouquet for Mother’s Day turn out? Who received them? What gifts did your kids add to their kindness bouquets? I’d love to hear your ideas and see pictures in the comment section below.

We had so much fun making these planters and picking out our flowers. They look amazing on our balcony and bring in some much needed color after all of the cold winter weather.

This is a great project for kids of all ages, but because the cinder blocks are quite heavy kids will need some help moving the blocks around. We used outdoor patio paint to ensure that the planters would be weatherproof and able to stay outdoors. I am choosing to keep our planters on our covered balcony just to keep the colors nice and bright.

Make your own painted cinder blocks

Disclosure: Amazon affiliate links included

Supplies for painting your cinder blocks

• Cinder blocks
• Weatherproof outdoor paint. I found DecoArt outdoor patio paint at our local craft store. It is weatherproof and self-sealing so no sealer is needed plus it comes in lots of fun bright colors.
• Painters tape
• Foam brushes
• Plastic lids or containers to use as paint palettes

Instructions for painting your cinder blocks

1. Lay down newspaper or a drop cloth before starting. If your cinder blocks are dirty, make sure to wipe them down and let them completely dry before painting. Place your cinder blocks on top of the newspaper and get your paint and brushes ready. I found that foam brushes work best with this project, they spread the paint nicely and are easy for kids to use.

Related: Mini Plant Pots – an Easy Upcycle Craft for Kids

2. Using painters tape, create your designs on the cinder blocks. We went super simple and stuck with geometric lines. My 7-year-old daughter did this step on her own while my 5-year-old needed a bit of help. Depending on where your planters will be, you can choose to do all sides or just the sides that will be showing. Make sure to press the tape down really well so the paint doesn’t bleed through.

Don’t worry about measuring or making sure that their lines are straight, they will look amazing! My son only wanted to use tape on a couple of sides and his planter still looks great.

3. Once everyone is done creating their patterns out of tape, using one color at a time, let the kids paint in their designs. This part is fun! My kids loved choosing their colors and painting their cinder blocks.

After they have finished painting, you need to let the paint dry completely. The instructions on our paint were to let everything dry for 72 hours. You can take the tape off after a couple of hours or wait, I found it didn’t make a difference.

Supplies for creating your painted cinder block planters

• Landscape fabric
• Scissors
• Rocks
• Decorative rocks (optional)
• Flowers
• Extra dirt
• Small shovel

Instructions for creating your painted cinder block planters

1. Choose the flowers or type of plant you want to use. We chose primulas and had fun picking our own color of plant out. I am hoping to plant marigolds in them in June or July to last into the early fall. Succulents would also look great, it really depends on where you live and what kind of light/direction your planters will be facing.

Related: Handmade Coasters with Pressed Flowers and Washi Tape

2. Because there is such a big hole at the bottom of the cinder blocks, you will need to use some landscape fabric. Cut out your fabric, this step is best done by an adult, and place the fabric into your cinder blocks. Fold down or cut the top of the fabric so it will not show after you have planted your flowers. Cut a second piece of landscape fabric, fold into a square and place at the bottom for extra support.

3. Add in a couple handfuls of rocks to help with drainage. Add in your dirt, just enough to cover the rocks, you can always add more dirt after.

4. Plant your flowers! Take them out of the pots, loosen the roots and dirt and place them into the cinder blocks. Add more dirt on top and on the sides if needed. This will be messy, your kids might want to wear gardening gloves like my daughter did.

5. This step is optional but I think looks really great! You can add decorative rocks on top of the dirt to finish it off. We choose white rocks, but any color would work.

We had so much fun with this garden project, my kids loved creating their designs on their cinder blocks and picking out and planting their flowers. Our painted cinder blocks brighten up our balcony and were such a fun spring activity for us to do as a family.

Pin this project for later

You can find Angela at Projects with Kids where she shares fun and creative art and craft projects for kids of all ages. She lives on the west coast of Canada and is a mom to two very energetic and creative kids who love doing projects of all kinds and getting their hands messy. With a background in teaching, visual arts, and graphic design, Angela loves creating and having fun with art and sharing her ideas with her readers.

For more gardening ideas with Kids CLICK HERE

Click for more Gardening with Kids

Today, Nicolette, shares her “spin” on painting with flowers and using seeds and petals to create a multi-dimensional, multi-medium art project.

Did you know that Nicolette is from Ecuador, South America?

I personally find gardening a great connection between people from around the world. Her garden looks similar to mine and our little ones would love doing this activity too. Sure makes the world seem like a smaller, more connected place – doesn’t it!  I think I will show my kids this post, find Ecuador on the map and talk about how children all around the world are gardening and creating too!  

Will you join in this weekend and #plantaseed?

Painting with Flowers 

by Nicolette Roux of Powerful Mothering 

With a garden full of lovely flowers this year, mainly marigolds, I decided to let the kids do a little art from the garden! My 3 love anything to do with gardening and generally making a mess.

We are currently in the rainy season here in Ecuador so we started with a trip outside in between the rain to collect some flowers in the garden. This was a good chance for my 4-year-old to work on his cutting skills as he snipped the buds off. I also asked him to collect some of the dried flowers which contain seeds.

We made it just in time as the afternoon rain arrived. Once inside I used a snack tray to contain all the things we needed to make some art with our collection of goodies.

The kids used the marigold flowers to dip in the paint and stamp on paper. My 4-year-old said he was making me a flower garden picture which included some seeds stuck in the paint. Maybe they are there to grow?

I really love how bright the printing came out. I had all 3 kids involved in our little art from the garden even my toddler enjoyed a bit of stamping!

We also had a parsley leaf that sneaked in with the flowers. In a few week’s time, we are going to re-seed all the marigolds as most of the flowers will have dried off. This is a great excuse to get the kids into the garden and to teach about planting from picking the seeds from the old plants to seeing the new ones grow.

Looking for more garden inspiration?

You will love our spring time butterfly fun in the garden, making seedlings in egg shells and learning about container gardening.

About Nicolette Roux Nicolette is a stay-at-home mom of three kids, four years old and younger. You will often find her on the floor at kid level, learning through play. Simple and easy activities and crafts are the most popular with her little ones and she shares these on the blog.

Blog – Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest 

Let’s inspire each other!!! Use the hashtag #plantaseed to connect with other gardeners!

We hope to inspire you to garden with your child this year!!!

Here are some articles to get your minds spinning about gardening!

Best Herbs to Grow with Kids by Victoria
Best Flowers to Grow with Kids by Kitchen Counter Chronicles
Best Vegetables to Grow with Kids by Becky

Here’s how to make your own Hanging Painted Flower Craft 

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This week’s featured book activity is focused on the book The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.  This story focuses on the life cycle of a flower told through the adventures of a tiny seed. Readers follow along the seed’s progress as it floats across the sky, nestles in the ground, and finally grows into the giant flower it was always meant to be. It’s a classic Eric Carle story with beautiful illustrations and a story line the kids will enjoy telling again and again.  BUY IT NOW

 The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

Painted Flower Craft for Kids Inspired by The Tiny Seed

We thought it might be fun to create a flower craft to go along with the gigantic flower from the story The Tiny Seed. You can print out our The Tiny Seed Math Activities for a learning activity to go along with the story too.  At the bottom, there are additional The Tiny Seed Themed activities to create a fun week of garden-themed activities to go along with this popular book. 

Here’s how to make your very own flower using recycled plastic to hang in your window or to give to someone special.

Materials for Painted Flower Craft

• Scissors
• Paint
• Paint Brush
• Hot Glue Gun
• Beads
• Recycled Plastic Container

Instructions for Painted Flower Craft

1. To start this flower craft you will need to find a clear plastic container to reuse by cutting out 5 flower petals from it. This is an adult activity for safety reasons.

2. Then place the 5 plastic flower petals on a surface that you can paint on and get messy.  We used a recycled cardboard box so that it could dry on there too.

3. Time to pain your plastic flower petals with paint. We used an acrylic paint set.  Like this one.

Encourage your child to get creative with the details onto their flower. Eric Carle’s artwork with tissue paper and how he paints and blends colors in the images can be a fun inspiration. We even used a little splatter technique to add a few more pops of color.

4. Now it’s time to put the painted flower craft together. Have your child set up the flower the way that they designed it and then use a hot glue gun to attach all of the petals together.  I used a plastic tray below while gluing so that it would come off easily after it cooled down.  This is an adult task for safety reasons.

**An alternative could be to use fast-drying air clay or salt dough that your child could stick the dried flower petals into.

5. After we attached the flower petals I had my daughter select some beads to stick in the middle for her flower center.  I just added more hot glue and then had her tell me where to place them due to the hot glue.  If you’re using air clay or salt dough they could do this portion themselves as well.

This is a fun lesson in talking about flower seeds similar to what is featured in The Tiny Seed book.

6. At the end you can attach a ribbon so that you can hang your colorful painted flower craft in a window and allow the light to shine through it.

SHARE how your painted flowers turn out in our Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids Facebook group!

Garden Themed Activities for Preschoolers

• Counting to Ten Algorithm Coding Worksheet for Preschoolers by JDaniel4’s Mom
• Plants and Sunlight Science Experiment for Kids by Mama Smiles
• Flower Math Activity – Spring Math Activity for Preschoolers by School Time Snippets
• Spray Alphabet Garden for Toddlers by Toddler Approved
• How to Make a Plant Journal by Inspiration Laboratories
• Unlocking the Mystery of Seed Germination 
• 10 Flowers to Grow with Kids 
• Getting Started with 3 Easy Steps 
• Making Spiral Paper Flowers with Kids 
• The Tiny Seed Activities & Printables 
• Saving Sunflower Seeds with Kids 
• DIY Painted Flower Bouquet 
• Painting with Flowers for Garden Art 
• Making Flowers with Recycled Items 
• Flowers to Grow for Kids to Enjoy
• Planning a Field trip to a Florist 

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…