Little New-Yorkers @ Home: Create Your Own Paper Garden

Join us online every Tuesday and Friday at 3:30 pm for Little New-Yorkers @ Home. Check our calendar for registration links.

It’s springtime, Little New-Yorkers! Bring a little bit of that springtime rainbow inside this week as we read Florette, written and illustrated by Anna Walker. Meet Mae, a country kid who moves to the city, but misses the trees and flowers that flourished where she came from. Join us and create a beautiful paper garden with flowers, bumblebees, and other springtime delights.

Living in the city can it make it hard to fully experience the natural explosion of spring. Luckily, if you can’t get your hands on some fresh flowers or living plants, there are plenty of other ways to bring spring into your home. Check out this tiny toy flower box from the New-York Historical Society’s collection—it’s only an inch tall!  

Who might have played with this terrific, tiny toy? 

Where would you put this flower box in your home? 

This week, we’re bringing flowers into our homes by making our own paper garden inspired by Florette. 

Follow along with this post to create with us at home and don’t forget to join us live every Tuesday and Friday at 3:30 p.m. where we sing a special Little New-Yorkers hello song, do silly stretches and exercises, and read a story book, all from the comfort of your living room.

Supplies*

• Printed flower pot and flowers template
• Something to draw with: colored pencils, markers, crayons
• Scissors
• Glue, tape, or stapler

*A note on supplies If you don’t have exactly the supplies listed, improvise! These projects are designed to be versatile, so feel free to use whatever materials and tools you have at home. And if your final product looks different than what you see here, that’s wonderful! 

STEP 1: Color in flower circles and flower pot

Color in your flower pot and the circles that will become your flowers. Get creative and make them your own! 

STEP 2: Cut out flower circles

Carefully cut out your flower circles. Remember to ask for grownup assistance! 

STEP 3: Fold and cut flower petals 

Fold each circle along the dotted line and cut out shapes for your flower petals. Make sure to only cut around the curved edges, otherwise you’ll cut a hole in your flower!

 

STEP 4: Attach flowers to stems

Use glue, a stapler, or tape to attach your finished flowers to the stems growing in your pot. Fold the petals up or crinkle them a bit to create some texture. 

 

 

Now you’ve got your own indoor, city, springtime garden just like Mae! Once you’re finished, feel free to add more details: are there birds or bees flitting around your flower pot? Is it sitting on a windowsill? Draw whatever springtime features you’d like around your finished flowerpot. 

 

 

We hope you enjoy this activity! Share your creations in the comments below and during our online sessions of Little New Yorkers @ Home Tuesdays and Fridays at 3:30 p.m. See you then!

 

By Olivia Sweet