Random Article
Forced Winter Blooms
"Forcing" is the technique used to make winter twigs bloom indoors. Try this forced winter blooms activity with your kids and enjoy an early spring!What You'll Need:
- Winter twigs in bud, cut from flowering shrubs or trees
- Clippers
- Bucket
- Water
- Wide-mouthed vase
Step 1: Check shrubs in your yard for flower buds that are just beginning to swell. Forsythia, flowering plum, flowering cherry, or pussy willows work well for this.
Step 2: Cut branches about two feet long or longer if you can. Put the branches in a bucket of water right away and bring them indoors.
Step 3: Find a large vase with a wide mouth and fill it with water. For longest-lasting branches, put the cut end of the branch in the vase, and, holding it under the water, cut an inch off of the end.
Step 4: Leave your vase in a sunny window. In a week or two the twigs will burst out into blossoms.
Keep reading to learn how your kids can grow a tropical tree from the fruit pit of a mango, papaya, or pomegranate.
For more fun nature crafts and kids' activities, check out:
