Fun Littles

Fun and easy kids activities

Flower Potions

Mar 11, 201316,097 views
Nature crafts
Ages2–5 yrs
Prep10 min
Activity30 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Pick flowers on a spring nature walk, then set up a 'potions lab' at home. Kids tint cups of water with food color and mix in petals with sticks and spoons. This open-ended sensory and pretend play works for toddlers and preschoolers.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Potions are pretend only. Kids love 'drink this and you'll turn into a cat' stories, but nobody drinks the water, petals or food color.
  • Only collect flowers you know are not toxic, and keep toddlers from mouthing petals and stems.
  • Pollen can bother kids with hay fever or plant allergies, so wash hands after play.
  • Supervise water play at all times, especially with toddlers.
  • Check sticks for splinters and sharp ends, and remind kids to keep sticks in the cups.
  • Food color can stain hands, clothes and surfaces, so cover the table.
  • Use plastic cups and bottles with young children instead of glass jars.

Before the kids arrive

  • Go on a nature walk or mini hike and collect flowers. Pick only where picking is allowed, or use garden flowers.
  • Cover the table and set out the flowers, water, containers, sticks, spoons and food color as an invitation to play.

Steps

  1. Head outdoors on a nature walk and pick flowers.

  2. Bring your flowers home in a bucket or basket.

  3. Set out flowers, water, cups, spoons, sticks and food color on the table.

  4. Pour water into the cups and add a little food color to make colored water.

  5. Pull the flower petals apart and drop them into the colored water.

  6. Stir your potion with a stick spoon, or mix and splash it with your hands.

  7. Pour, scoop and mix potions from cup to cup and into bottles.

  8. Make up a story about what each potion does. Pretend only, no drinking!

Tips

  • It's simply an open-ended activity. The invitation alone is enough for the kids to get into it and play.from the author
  • My toddler particularly enjoyed separating the flower petals and mixing them with the colored water, and she was thrilled to use a 'stick spoon' as she called it.from the author
  • For my preschooler it was story telling time: 'Mom, this will make you a princess.' Toddlers pour, mix and scoop while older kids create stories and potions at the same time.from the author
  • Just being outdoors on the walk sparks interesting conversation and fantastic questions, so let the flower hunt be part of the fun.from the author
  • Boys love it too, mixing away with their 'magic sticks.'from readers
  • No flowers yet? One reader is waiting for her garden to bloom before trying it.from readers

Make it your own

  • Turn it into pretend 'perfume making,' which two readers remember doing as children.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · March 2013
spring outdoors
This weekend had amazing weather and the girls were itching to pick flowers. It felt really refreshing to be outdoors in an open green space with a phenomenal view.
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Flower Potions: the original post

We can’t wait for the weather to warm up! The kids love to go on long nature walks and generally be outdoors picking flowers, rocks and generally explore outdoors. Spring activities are aplenty, especially for kids. Our favorite is to go on mini hikes bring back nature bits and get creative. This weekend had amazing weather and the girls were itching to pick flowers and that’s exactly what we did. It felt really refreshing to be outdoors in an open green space with a phenomenal view. The kids were terribly giddy with all the green and colors around them. Just being outdoors was enough to spark some interesting conversation and fantastic questions.

spring outdoors

After picking flowers and chasing each other around green hills we headed home with our treasured possessions. I think the new brochures from our Park and Rec Dept are great! wild flowers from a spring hike Once we home we set up our flower potions lab. This is a very simple and entertaining activity suitable for toddlers and preschoolers.

  • Flowers
  • Water
  • Containers
  • Sticks and spoons
  • Food Color

materials for spring activities

This spring activity is simply an open ended activity where the invitation is alone is enough for the kids to get into it and play. The kids first made colored water using our vibrant Gel food colors and then on added the flowers to the cups.

flower sensory for spring

My toddler particularly enjoyed separating the flower petals and mixing them with the colored water. Of course when she is mixing she has to enjoy some sensory play by using her hand to splash and mix her concoction.She was thrilled to use a “stick spoon” as she called it.

flower potions in bottles

For my preschooler it was story telling time. ” Mom, this will make you a princess”. ” If you drink this green potion you will turn into a cat” ” Don’t drink that you will become a lamp”

spring sensory

With some simple supplies, my toddler enjoyed pouring, mixing and scooping while my preschooler was creating stories and potions at the same time.

flower potion for spring fun

Our fun nature walk turned into a wonderful afternoon colorful nature play which sparked the kid’s creativity and imagination.

flower potions labs

Do you collect rocks, leaves and flowers on walks?

In the past we have shared many spring activities and crafts. Check our Spring category section.

Thanks for reading

Please take a moment to comment.

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This post is a part of a Spring Blog Hop hosted at the following blogs.

spring and easter activities for kids

The Magic of Play, Rainy Day Mum, hands on : as we grow, Putti’s World, Blog Me Mom, Scribble Doodle and Draw, 3 Dinosaurs, Buggy and Buddy, Royal Baloo, Kitchen Counter Chronicle, Nurture Store, The Usual Mayhem, Making Boys Men, Two Daloo, Reading Confetti, Creative Play House, Fantastic Fun and Learning, Here Come the Girls, Blue Bear Wood, Zing Zing Tree, Mummy Mummy Mum, Red Ted Art, Life at the Zoo, My Little 3 and Me, Imprints from Tricia, Smiling Like Sunshine, Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails, Creative Connection for Kids, 52 Brand New, Inspiration Laboratories, Kid World Citizen, JDaniel 4s Mom, Inspired by Familia, Kids Creative Chaos, All Done Monkey, ArtChoo, Something 2 Offer, Child Central Station, KC Edventures, Momma’s Fun World, Sun Hats and Wellie Boots, Discovering the world through my son’s eyes, Little Artists

What readers say

💬 8 comments

🎉 Worked for us

Boys love their magic sticks too

A parent says flower petal potions feel magical, and her boys love mixing them with their "magic sticks."

“Even my boys love mixing with their "magic sticks."”
debihuang, Mar 2013

✨ Readers' twist

Reminds readers of perfume making

A reader says the potions remind her of making perfume as a child and plans to try the idea herself.

“I love this so much, it reminds me of perfume making as a child!”
Coombe Mill (Fiona) (@coombemill), Mar 2013

✨ Readers' twist

Flower perfume from childhood

Another reader remembers doing the same thing when she was little to make perfume, a fun twist on the potions.

“I remember doing this when I was little to make perfume”
Rebecca English, Mar 2013

Tried it?

Reviewed before it appears. No links, and please no children's names.

Read all 8 comments
  1. debihuang · Mar 2013

    Flower petal potions are magical aren't they? Even my boys love mixing with their "magic sticks."

  2. Rebecca English · Mar 2013

    I remember doing this when I was little to make perfume Thanks for linking to The Sunday Showcase. I've pinned it to our board.

  3. The Monko · Mar 2013

    flower potions are a lovely idea. Have to wait for some flowers to grow in out garden.

  4. Coombe Mill (Fiona) (@coombemill) · Mar 2013

    I love this so much, it reminds me of perfume making as a child! I am going to borrow this one for a Country Kids post in the future! Thank you for the idea.

  5. Allison · Mar 2013

    I love the potions! I'll be featuring this post on The Sunday Showcase as well.

Similar activities

🛒 Materials