The Be Kind Sunflower is a great tool to come up with ways to be kind to one another. This activity also allows children to create a visual aid that they can refer to as they remember ways to be kind to others that they meet. It is great for preschoolers and school aged children to participate in, as they are starting to meet new peers and form new friendships. Both parents (or any adult) and children can work together to generate ideas, and this can be a teaching moment as children learn different techniques for showing kindness. Fine motor skills are also practiced as children engage in cutting paper and writing.
Supplies:
Construction Paper (yellow, green, brown)
Balck sharpie or regular marker
Glue or glue stick
Hole puncher
String/yarn/ribbon (any color)
Pencil
Scissors
Activity Steps:
Step 1: Drawing the flower parts
First, make sure your work area is clean and set out all of your supplies. Now, you are ready to start tracing the 3 parts of the sunflower. These 3 parts are the leaves, the petals, and the head (the middle of the flower).
Now, take your yellow construction paper and your pencil and draw 8 circles as big as the bottom of a water bottle. If you have a water bottle, this can be used to trace your circles.
Then, take your green construction paper and draw 6 medium sized triangles.I drew mine in black marker, so you could see them better!
Lastly, take your brown construction paper and make 1 large circle. Your brown circle should be big enough to place on top of your yellow circles.
Step 2: Cutting out the flower parts
Next, take your scissors and cut out each part of your flower, cutting along the line you made with your pencil. Remember, you may need an adult’s help for this part of the activity. After this step, you should have 8 yellow circles, 6 green triangles, and 1 brown circle. Remember, it is okay if your circles and triangles do not all look the same. All the parts of a real flower look different from one another! This is your special sunflower!!
Step 3: Arranging and gluing
Now that you have all of your parts cut out, it is time to make a sunflower using these parts! First, take your yellow circles and make a circle out of them by placing them next to each other. To make this step easier, you can use a round bowl and use it to form the circle. You have now formed the petals of your sunflower! Next, use your glue or glue stick to place glue on the edge of the brown circle and place it right on top of your yellow petals. This will be the head of the sunflower, it holds all of the petals together. If you are using a liquid glue, let it dry for about 2 minutes. Lastly, flip your sunflower over and glue each green triangle between the yellow petals. These are the leaves of the sunflower.
Step 4: Writing out ways to be kind
You have made your sunflower! Now it is time to come up with 8 ways that you can be kind to others. Some examples on my sunflower are “be patient” and “compliment others”. What are ways that you can be kind to people that you meet. Write your ideas on each yellow petal of your sunflower with your black sharpie or marker. If you do not have the color black, you can use any color you would like to write with!
Step 5: Hole punching and adding string/yarn/ribbon
Next, use the hole puncher to make one hole in the middle of your top yellow petal. Then, cut about 2 inches of string or yarn to add to your sunflower. Put the string/yarn/ribbon through your hole and double knot it at the top. I used a polka dot ribbon! You should now have a loop that you can use to hang your Be Kind Sunflower up with. Remember, you may need adult help with this part! You have finished making a Be Kind Sunflower! Have fun spreading kindness to others!