Tinting Flower Petals

We're finally moving out of our winter hibernation mode and getting involved in some of the homeschool activities that are happening around us :) Usually during winter I hesitate to sign up for any outings since we live in the sticks *grin* nearly an hours drive away from the nearest city and the roads are completely unpredictable to navigate but with the complete absence of any snow this year we're ready to get out and about!

One of the nearby museums is running a program geared specifically for homeschool kids and L is finally old enough at 6 to participate so she's completely thrilled :) Today they learned all about plants and their parts by drawing and labeling a flower, explored what was growing at a nearby park and then coming back to the museum and planting different seeds that they had found at the park.

It's so cute! She has two little paper cups filled with dirt and in one is what looks like a maple tree seed pod and in the other is a mystery seed which her teacher thinks is a zinnia :) I sure hope that something sprouts up for her! *grin*.

They're second little activity was learning about how flowers drink through their capillary action so they filled little ziploc baggies with brightly colored water and then placed a zinnia inside. Now we wait and watch the flower drink up the dyed water and see the tips of the flower petals change colors as they take in the dye :)

Thankfully the little baggies made it home without upsetting in the car! Although we did have a minor spill at home on the windowsill when green food coloring dripped all down my nice white wall. ACK! Luckily I spotted it right away before it dried on and stained. Needless to say our flowers are safely in glass jars now *grin*.

Can't wait to see what project they do next time :)

~ Rosina