Sunflower Affirmations
In this activity, school-aged children will love creating their very own flower room decoration out of only a few supplies! As you complete this activity, think about the unique qualities and personal traits that make you special. What are some of the words that you would use to describe yourself? What makes you unique? What makes you proud? Keep these words in mind as you create the flower!
Supplies:
-Three sheets of colored paper (green, yellow, white or any three colors you would like for the leaves, petals, and center of your flower!)
-Marker Or Pen
-Craft Glue or Glue Stick
-Scissors
Activity Steps:
Before you Start: Gather all of your supplies (colored paper, marker or pen, glue, scissors) and place them on a clean, flat surface. It will be easiest to work on a flat surface such as a table or desk. Remember to ask an adult if you need help gluing or cutting.
Step 1- Petals: First, we are going to make the petals of the flower. Take the piece of colored paper that you are going to use for your petals. I chose yellow. Lay this piece of paper flat on the table in front of you, placing it so that the longer sides of the rectangle-shaped paper are closest to your body.
Now, we are going to begin by creating the outlines of the petal shapes. Take your pen or marker and carefully draw one long, skinny oval in the top left corner of the colored sheet of paper. Try to keep this oval no longer than half of the sheet of paper, and only about an inch or two across in width. This should be roughly the length of your marker or pen and the width of two markers lined next to each other.
Step 2- Now, take your scissors. Ask an adult to help you if you need some assistance with cutting. Carefully cut along the lines that you have made on the colored paper to cut out the oval shape. This is one of your petals!
Once you have cut out this first oval (your first petal) you are now going to trace this same petal shape eleven times anywhere on the colored paper so that you have a total of twelve oval petal shapes. Make sure that you leave enough room between your tracings so that they do not overlap.
When you have finished tracing your petals, take your scissors and cut out all of the oval shapes. You are now done with your petals!
Step 3- Leaves: Next, we will make the leaves of the flower. Take the piece of colored paper that you are going to use for your leaves. I chose green. Lay this piece of colored paper flat on the table and take one of the petal shapes that you have cut out. Place the petal anywhere on this new sheet of colored paper and take your pen or marker and carefully trace around the petal shape. Once you have traced the petal shape once, repeat that five times, tracing a total of six new skinny ovals on this new piece of colored paper. Remember to make sure that you leave enough room between your tracings so that they do not overlap. These new skinny ovals will be the leaves of your flower!
Step 4- Just like you did with the petals, take your scissors and cut out all six ovals. You have now finished with the leaves of the flower!
Step 5- Center of Flower: Next, we are going to make the center of the flower. Take your marker or pen and the third piece of colored paper. I chose a white color. Next, using your marker or pen, draw a circle that is no larger than ½ the size of the sheet of paper. You can make sure that it is about ½ by folding the piece of paper in half, so that the two shorter ends of the rectangle meet, and then using only one half of the paper to draw the circle. This circle will be the center of the flower.
Step 6- Take your scissors and cut out the circle that you have drawn.
Step 7- Next, take your circle and your twelve petals. Grab your glue stick and spread glue around the edge of one side of the circle (this will be the back of the flower).
Place the side without glue face down on the flat surface that you are working on. Now, take one of your skinny oval petals and place one of the narrow sides of the oval on the edge of the circle where there is glue, pressing firmly down to make sure it sticks. Repeat this with the other eleven petals, placing them one beside the other so that they fan out around the circle.
Turn your flower over--you should see a circle center with twelve oval petals fanning out around the center. Nice work!
Step 8- Next, turn the flower back face down on the table. Take your six skinny oval leaves and arrange them however you like in between the petals. Once you have them arranged, use your glue stick to glue down the pieces of the leaves that are touching the petals so that they stick firmly, and the rest should be poking out between the petals. I chose to put the leaves in groups of three on either side of the flower, but you can place them wherever you like!
Step 9: Now, flip the flower over. It is time to write your affirmations. An affirmation is a positive statement that you say to yourself, such as “I am brave,” or “I am strong”.
On the center of the flower, take your pen or marker and write “I AM”. Try to make the phrase, “I AM” in the center of the circle, but it is okay if it is not perfectly in the middle!
Step 10: Then, on each petal, you will finish the beginning of the “I AM” statement by writing one adjective or phrase that describes you and that you are proud of.
What words do you use to describe yourself? What are you proud of?
And, congratulations, you have finished your flower!
~Made by Elena A.