THE FLOWERS FOR KIDS Instructional Guide 10.0
THE FOLLOWING ARE THREE EXCERPTS FROM THE TEN-PAGE FLOWERS FOR KIDS® INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE. YOU WILL RECEIVE THE FULL GUIDE WHEN YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER.

When the children file into the “Flowers For Kids ” classroom there will be a fair amount of “oohs and aahs” when everyone sees the flowers at the front of the room. Hand out 3 to 5 individual flowers to the same number of students just as they begin to sit down. Tell them to examine the flower and then pass it on. Retrieve flowers before you begin the class. This gives the children something to do while they are settling down. Make sure a rose and sunflower are sticking out from the buckets.

Please invite your local florist to participate. Florists are an important part of your community and are delighted to help make flower arrangements with everyone.

Part 1: Introduction to Flower Favorites

TEACHER:  Today we have a special flower presentation. It’s called FLOWERS FOR KIDS. We are going to learn a little bit about how flowers are grown and how to take care of flowers so they last a long time. And…if you answer the questions, and ask lots of questions, you all get to make your own flower arrangements, we call them BOUQUETS. Then you can take these bouquets home and make your house more beautiful.

TEACHER:  What do you think is the most popular flower? (Remember to guide them to the flowers you have displayed).
STUDENT: Roses

TEACHER:  (with thorny rose in hand). As you can see, we have some beautiful roses here today. Roses are grown all over the world. These roses are from Ecuador and have long stems and big heads. (Cover rose head with hand and slightly move your thumb from other hand over a thorn) What do all roses have?
STUDENT: They have thorns.
TEACHER:  You’re right. So why do you think roses have thorns?
STUDENT: To protect them.
TEACHER: To protect them from what? (Possible answers from the kids).
STUDENT: From ants….. From bugs…..

TEACHER: Don’t think so. Ants (Bugs) can easily avoid the thorns.
STUDENT: From Birds.
TEACHER: No. Birds fly onto the rose.
STUDENT: From us. (This is common).
TEACHER: Probably not. We humans cut them with flower cutters anyway. The longer the stem the better. (Show cutters)

STUDENT: From an animal that will eat it.
TEACHER: What do you call an animal that is vegetarian? (That only eats herbs?)
STUDENT: From herbivores.
TEACHER: (Gushing): That’s right. So roses have thorns to protect them from herbivores.
TEACHER: : (Next question) Roses have thorns for another reason. I’ll give you a hint. All flowers need SUN (emphasize) and what else for them to grow?
STUDENT: Water.
TEACHER: So what do you think is in each thorn? (Break one off).
STUDENT: Water! (Lots of kids will just blurt it out).
TEACHER: So a rose thorn is like a mini reservoir or a hump on a ……….? (Make a hump on your back with your hand)
STUDENT: Camel!

Part 2: How to Care for Flowers. Kids and Flowers Love Lemonade

TEACHER: Now that you know a little bit about how to grow flowers and why we all love them it’s time to learn about how to take care of your flowers so they will live as long as possible. We want to enjoy our flowers for as long as possible, right?
STUDENT: Yes.
TEACHER: Once you get flowers from the shop, what do you think flowers need?
STUDENT: Water.

TEACHER: Good. That’s right. THE most important thing for cut flowers to have is good clean water. Just like us. (Take a swig from your own water bottle). They need to keep….. hydrated (Children love the “Hydrate” word. At this point ask for a strong volunteer to help hold the vase of water. Volunteer will stay until almost the end of the class. The vases could also be on a small table). And just like us, flowers need food to give them energy. What kind of food gives us quick energy?
STUDENT1: Sweet stuff. (Some may even say carbohydrates. You can easily guide them)
STUDENT2: Candy.
TEACHER: What do you eat after dinner?
STUDENT: Desserts.
TEACHER: What do all sweet stuff, candy, and desserts have in common?
STUDENT: Sugar.

Part 3: Flower Types and Bouquet Making

TEACHER: Are you ready to learn how to make a bouquet?
STUDENT: YES!!!!

TEACHER: To make a bouquet, you need 4 different types of flowers. (Point out each one as the children name them) YOU and Children Together: FILLERS, LINES, FOCALS, and GREENS.

TEACHER: : (Take a Filler). This flower is called Baby’s Breath (or other) It’s a FILLER. Why do you think it’s called a FILL-er? (Emphasize “FILL”)
STUDENT: It fills. (Point)
STUDENT: It takes up room.

TEACHER: Right! It “FILLS” out the spaces of the bouquet or arrangement. There are lots of different Fillers. This is called (statice, hypericum, limonium). (Show and name another Filler. Grab two or three Fillers and keep in your hand).

TEACHER: The next flower is a LINE flower. What do you think a LINE flower does? (Use your hand to indicate height).
STUDENT1: Stands up straight and taller.
STUDENT2: Makes the bouquet bigger.

TEACHER: Right! It makes the bouquet taller. This is called liatris and this one is called a delphinium. (Take 2-3 LINES and add them to your Fillers). LINES should be slightly higher than the FILLERS to make your bouquet taller.

TEACHER: These flowers are called FOCALS. Do you know why we call them FOCALS?
STUDENT1: You focus your eyes on it.

TEACHER: “FOCALS” is a “special” word that only florists and people who really know about flowers use. I’m going to tell you a story that will help you always remember about flowers that are FOCALS. When you go to the movies, you get your popcorn and drinks, go into the theater, the lights go down, and what’s the first they show on the screen?
STUDENTS: The commercials. (FBI Warning)
TEACHER: What comes after the commercials?
STUDENTS: The Previews!
TEACHER: And then, after the Previews, they put on the screen: “And now the….?”
STUDENTS: Feature Presentation!!!!
TEACHER: So FOCALS are the….?
STUDENTS: Feature Presentation!!!!

TEACHER: Great! FOCALS are the FEATURE PRESENTATION. (Make a big deal out of it). This is what everyone pays attention to. Like roses, sunflowers, (Show the other FOCALS, get them excited. Add four FOCALS to you bouquet, name the flowers as you put them in the bouquet).

TEACHER: The final flower is a GREEN. To help you let’s think about colors: When we see blue, what do we think of? (Look up to the sky).
STUDENT1: Sky

TEACHER: So, when we see GREEN, we think of Naaaa…..?
STUDENT: Nature.

TEACHER: So GREENS represent Nature and make the bouquet look more natural. (Cut the stems and put it in the vase). Make sure you remove all the leaves you might think will get in the water. (Take off a couple of leaves before you cut and put the bouquet into the vase. Make sure you get the bouquet in water in 5 seconds, the kids will be counting!)