Flowers Activity Sheet

Flowers
re and
tists – they love to explo
Children are born scien
enjoy
n
ca
u
yo
t
ny activities tha
discover. There are ma
ur little scientist.
doing at home with yo
Questions
rs?
y do plants have flowe
• What are flowers? Wh
wers?
• What colours are flo
wers do you know?
• How many sorts of flo
tRY tHis At HoMe
Coloured Flowers
You Will Need
rks best
rnations or lilies) – wo
• White flowers (e.g. ca
with fresh flowers
or red work well)
• Food colouring (blue
DiscoveR MoRe
• Clear vase or glass
WHAt to Do
ring.
ter and add food colou
1. Fill the vase with wa
the vase.
in
r
we
flo
d place the
an
m
ste
r
we
flo
the
m
2. Tri
the less time it will
The shorter the stem
ch the flower.
take for the water to rea
ery couple of hours.
3. Check the flower ev
draw up
while the flower stems
4. Wait 6 to 12 hours
k again in
loo
d
an
ave overnight
the coloured water. Le
the morning.
r
w have turned the colou
5. The petals should no
of the food dye.
WHAt’s HAppening?do. They suck up water
t like we
Flowers drink water jus
action.
tists call this capillar y
ien
through their stem. Sc
Open 9am – 5pm every day.
Closed Christmas Day.
Admission fees apply.
King Edward Terrace, Canberra
t 02 6270 2893
uld happen if you split
• What do you think wo
t one half of the stem
the stem in two and pu
er half in blue water?
in red water and the oth
wer become? Red,
What colour will the flo
th?
blue or a mixture of bo
loured flowers.
• Try using dif ferent co
ing a stick of celer y in
• Try the experiment us
the water.
DiD You KnoW
inside called pollen.
Flowers have tiny grains
seeds and grow new
Pollen is used to make
es
, such as bees, butterfli
plants. Some animals
rs.
ato
llin
po
as
n
know
and hummingbirds, are
nts by spreading
pla
g
rin
we
flo
They help the
pollen to other flowers.
www.questacon.edu.au
tivities
tRY tHese otHeR Ac
garden? Notice all
your
• What flowers grow in
flowers in your garden
of
es
the dif ferent typ
an adult helper, pick
and in your street. With
your garden and put
a bunch of flowers from
.
them in a vase of water
n
picked flowers betwee
• Press flowers: Place
n
the
r,
pe
k baking pa
two sheets of non-stic
avy books. Try using
he
o
tw
n
flatten betwee
ple glue them onto
them in crafts, for exam
card.
cardboard and make a
: Don’t for get to water
• Grow some sunflowers
in a sunny spot. After
them and place them
will come to your
they flower lots of birds
eds!
backyard to eat the se
Use tissue paper for the
• Make paper flowers:
er for the stem.
petals and a pipe clean
ReAD BooKs
ok
at your local librar y, bo
Have fun finding more
store or online.
wer
• The Life Cycle of a Flo
bbie Kalman
Bo
d
an
by Molly Aloian
ok (With Flower Pressing
• First Nature Activity Bo
s
Paper) by Angela Wilke
Lois Ehler t
• Planting a Rainbow by
Native Plants
• Wild Australia Guide:
by Steve Parish
s Gets Planted
• The Magic School Bu
sh
by Scholastic Publi ing
r
are some
on! Here
Go on a flower excursi
erra region.
nb
suggestions in the Ca
spring in
• Floriade, held every
rk
Pa
h
Commonwealt
m
www.floriadeaustralia.co
rdens
• National Botanic Ga
au
www.anbg.gov.
ns
• National Rose Garde
ne.
ry
in the Parliamenta Zo
rdens
• Cockington Green Ga
om.au
n.c
ree
www.cockingtong
s
investigAte WeBsite
for children about
bsites
There are also many we
start with:
u
flowers. We suggest yo
Bus
• The Magic School
nte
Episode Gets Pla d
n/
www.veoh.com/collectio
s/watch
de
iso
Ep
us
MagicSchoolB
nies
• Teenie Weenie Gree
nies.com.au
ree
ieg
www.teenieween
ildren (BBC)
• Gardening with Ch
www.bbc.co.uk
• Youtube
flowers and seeds
Search for time lapse
www.youtube.com
sprouting and growing
www.questacon.edu.au