Memorial Day Poppy Craft

Yesterday we read a few books we found at the library on veterans (we are learning about the Letter V this week, so timing was perfect) and I told the kids about Memorial Day. I found this great book that helped explain this holiday in a simple way:

 

 In the book we read about veterans, it explained how poppies became the flower we use to remember those that died in a war. I wanted the kids to be able to bring something home-made to the cemetery this weekend, so we decided to make poppies.

 Since this activity was planned the morning of, I used what I had around the house! I gave everyone a paper plate and a squirt of black paint. I told them to use their fingers to paint the entire middle of the plate black.

 Even little Ed (2) did well with this one.

(Charlotte keeps cutting her hair herself. I'm learning to let it go.)

 Once they colored in the middle, we put them aside to dry and started cutting out our flower petals.

 I had a lot of red tissue paper left over from Christmas, so I kept it folded and drew the outline of petals so the kids could help me cut them out. Tissue paper is tough to keep together for little hands, but they just did their best.

 

 Once the paint was dry, we grabbed some Elmer's glue and went to work!

 I helped them put a line of glue on the plate and then they pressed the petal onto the glue. We made sure to overlap the petals to help them stay up.

 

It was easy enough for my three year old to do mostly by herself. She just needed help squeezing the glue. You can always put some glue onto a plate and give them a Q-tip to do it themselves.

 

Poor Edison had a tantrum after paint was put away, so I finished his petals for him:)

 Ta-Da! I think these will be nice to put on the graves we visit. Bright, beautiful, and home-made.

We also put our star-cutter to good use to make one of these stars, posted way back in the day here.

For more ideas on Memorial Day crafts, visit this post.

Also, this Memorial Day we are remembering our dear neighbors, the Hughes, who just lost their sweet baby boy, Miloh, to SIDS. If you are local, please take time to attend their fund-raiser car wash this Saturday at 10:30 am at the Ogden Animal Hospital (2nd and Washington).
We hope to show them our love and support as their grieve the loss of their little boy. 

Happy Memorial Day.