Littles Learning Link Up: Flower and Gardening Fun Literature and Craft Round Up

Welcome to Littles Learning Link Up. Each month you will find:

• A seasonal round-up (usually toward the beginning of the month)
• A guest post featuring crafts, activities, tips, snack ideas or other early childhood topics. (usually toward the end of the month)
• Posts where I share what I have been up to with my preschoolers and/or early elementary children (including occasional highlight posts where I share how we used ideas that have been linked up here on Littles Learning Link Up).

Each week, I will host a link up, where you can share either what you have been up to recently, or old posts that may go with the theme.  Feel free to link up more than one post.

Each week I will continue to feature a couple of posts from those that have been linked up. 

I hope you will continue to share your wonderful posts, and I hope you will find something new to try with your child.

It would be great for everyone to stop by and visit the other linked-up posts as well. Check them out, leave some comments, pin those that interest you. Let's make this a real party and socialize with each other.

It's time for this month's Round Up

Recently I have been trying something different for my round up posts. I share a selection of books that focus on a specific topic (like Celebrating the Birth of Christ or Snowmen) and then I share a round up of "Favorite Book List" posts that other bloggers have compiled, plus craft/activity posts that went with those books. I have decided I am going to continue this through the year. I hope these posts have helped you find some new books to share with your children. I know they have helped me find books I have never heard of before, and reminded me of books we have read in the past but I had forgotten about.

This month I decided to focus on flowers/gardening as Spring is right around the corner. Though, ironically, you wouldn't know it today with this lovely winter storm hurtling through the area.

This month, I don't really have any book selections, but I do have a fun craft to go with the book My Garden by Kevin Henkes. Then I will share a list of posts that focus on gardening books.

Flower and Gardening Fun Literature and Craft Round Up

Here is the flower we made:

I'm calling it: 

The Complementary Color Flower Craft

We used markers, and paint, and glue with construction paper to create these lovely flowers. I also gave the children a short lesson on color mixing, primary and secondary colors, plus a bit of an explanation on complementary colors. 

Here is what you will need:

Card Stock (for the flower centers and to glue the flower on)

Construction Paper (in various colors depending upon what colors the children want to use)

Acrylic paints

Markers

Scissors

Paint brush

Glue stick

The paper plate was for the color mixing demonstration.

As I mentioned, I gave the children a short lesson on color mixing before we started the craft. I placed one primary color at a time onto the paper plate, asking the children to tell me the name of the color after each one was added. Then I did the secondary colors by taking one primary color, placing it between two colors, and then putting a little of the other color and mixing it together. We ended up with a color wheel on our paper plate. I then explained that the colors opposite each other were complementary colors.

They were then asked which color they would like for their flower center. I put that color paint in their cup and gave them the complementary color marker to make designs on their flower. This goes with the book My Garden because there is a part in the story where the girl is imagining her garden and it would have flowers that would change colors and even have patterns on them just by her thinking about it.

When they were done drawing their patterns, they painted the circle.

The children ate snack and then played while we waited for the centers to dry. When they were dry, they were given flower petals in the complementary color, plus I also gave them petals in the same color as their center.

They used the glue sticks to glue their flower center to the card stock and then glued the petals around the center.

Complementary Color Flowers:

More Flower/Gardening Crafts and Activities that go with books:

Michelle from Delightful Learning shared The Carrot Seed {B4FIAR}, Ladybugs, Gardening, and Veggie Fun.

Sarah from Little Bins for Little Hands shared Spring Garden Activity With The Surprise Garden Book.

Sarah from My Joy-Filled Life shared Planting a Rainbow - Story Time Activities.

Trisha from Inspiration Laboratories shared Plant Science Experiment Inspired by Peter Rabbit.

MaryAnne from Mama Smiles shared Gardening Fun For Kids to go with the book The Curious Garden.

Jen from Kitchen Counter Chronicles shared Plant a Storybook Vegetable Garden with Kids to go with a couple of their favorite gardening books: Growing Vegetable Soup and The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Jennifer from Sugar, Spice and Glitter shared Lupine Mixed Media Provocation to go with the book Miss Rumphius.

Laura from Sunny Day Family shared Pipe Cleaner Lupines: Flower Craft for Preschoolers to go with the book Miss Rumphius.

And here are some Flower/Garden Book compilation posts.

Jodie from Growing Book by Book shared Counting Books in the Garden.

Deirdre from JDaniel4's Mom shared Dig Into Reading - 22 Garden Themed Books.

Jacquie from EDVentures With Kids shared Gardening Books and Activities for Kids.

Cerys from Rainy Day Mum shared Cool Garden Books For Toddlers and Preschoolers.

Jennifer from Sugar, Spice and Glitter shared 12+ Books about Botany for Kids.

Laura from Sunny Day Family shared 10 Flower Books for Preschoolers.

What are your favorite Flower/Gardening books that you read to your children?

I am lining up guest posts for the new year. If you would be interested writing a guest post for Littles Learning Link Up one of these months, please leave a comment or contact me via my contact info on my About Me page. I will need to have your email address so I can contact you. I am looking for posts that have to do with young children: crafts, activities, foods/snacks, tips, or other ideas. I am open to suggestions.

Now onto:

Littles Learning Link Up Features

On my last Littles Learning Link Up post, there were 9 wonderful posts linked up. I will be picking one randomly selected post to share, plus the top clicked-on post.  

Don't forget to stop by other posts that are linked up. See what catches your eye, stop by, pin the post to a relevant board, and perhaps leave a comment to let the author of the blog know you have been by for a visit. I know I appreciate others commenting and letting me know they have read my posts, so I am sure others do too.

This week's randomly selected post is:

Our Home of Many Blessings shared Seven Hungry Babies.

And here is this week's top clicked on post.

Homeschool Base shared Free Homeschool Curriculum - The Ultimate Resource List.

Join the Party!

I would love to have you join in this week! What sort of activities do you do with your young children? Do you have some favorite activities you would like to share? I invite you to link up below. I will be pinning posts on my Toddler Ideas or other relevant board, and I would love to feature some of the activities each week from what is linked up.

Please know I may share a picture from your post and link back to it, along with sharing how we used your idea in our school time, if applicable. By linking up you are giving me permission to use a picture from your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. Additionally, if you choose to try out any of the ideas with your child, please make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Linky will be open through Sunday night, to give me time to check out all the posts and get the Features organized. Please take the time to visit some of the other wonderful posts linked up.

I would love if you could share my button. 

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An InLinkz Link-up

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