Stems - Making Daisy and Clover Chains

Core Learning Experience + Supplies and Equipment

​Go outside and sit in the middle of a patch of clover, dandelions or daisies. Pick some with about 2 to 3 inches of stem on them. At the end of the stem make a little slit with the tips of your fingers, without opening the end of the stem. Thread the next flower through the hole, and make another slit towards the end of the stem in that one. Continue until it’s as long as you want. Make crowns, belts, necklaces etc.

Possible/Expected Discoveries

  • The stem is the part of the plant that holds it up to the sun, and so that bees can reach the flower.
  • When you break the stem, does anything come out of it? What might it be?
  • Now that you have picked the plant, will it grow any more? Why or why not?
  • Compare to other nearby stems (or photos). Could you make a chain from a rose stem? What might happen?
  • How long is your chain? Lets compare it to the length/width of this sidewalk. Shorter or longer? How many stems do you have in your chain?

Extended Learning and Other Curriculum Areas

  • ​Have the children describe exactly how they made their crown/chain/belt, in sequence. Teacher can either draw simple pictures, or write simple sentences, and the “read” them together.
  • Some stems are edible; let’s make a collection. Celery, asparagus, rhubarb (cooked) etc.
  • Use the chains for imaginative/creative play.
  • Let them dry out, and describe what happens.

Activity Packs and Printables

Websites

Books

How Plants Grow by Angela Roylston