Did you know you could press flowers in the microwave when you have a pressed flower emergency? What? You do not have pressed flower emergencies? It is only me?

Most of us know how to press flowers for crafts and studying and preserving memories. You place the flowers in between two sheets of newsprint and then place that in between two pieces of cardboard. Then you stick the entire cardboard, newsprint, flower sandwich under a pile of heavy books from when you used to study weighty things, like art history or law. Then you wait for at least a week and explain to any little people that practicing patience is good for the soul and building character.

But what if your flower pressing needs are more, well…pressing? What if Mother’s Day is THIS WEEKEND and you suddenly decided that you have the perfect craft but it must be decorated with pressed flowers handpicked by the kids?

Have no fear: you can press flowers in less time than it takes to read this post.

1. Put down a piece of cardboard and put a slightly smaller paper towel or piece of newsprint on top of the cardboard.

2. Arrange your flowers on top of the paper towel / newsprint so that none of the flowers overlap. Then cover with another piece of paper towel / newsprint and another piece of cardboard.

3. Use four thick rubber bands to secure the cardboard together.

4. Microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds. Check the flowers. Microwave for another 10 seconds if they are not done. It should take 30-90 seconds, depending on the flower and your microwave. You’ll have to experiment a little to find the right amount of time.

That’s it! Have fun with your pressed flowers and let me know what you make!

My mother in law just came back from a vacation in Mexico and the kids are excited to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We’re kicking off the fiesta early with a few picture books about Cinco de Mayo and Mexican culture.

I probably did not know the meaning of Cinco de Mayo until I was teaching history–many people confuse the celebration with Mexico’s Independence Day (which is in September). Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the victory over the French military at Puebla. Although the date has limited significance in Mexico, it has become a time to celebrate Mexican heritage in the United States.

Here are some children’s books to get ready for your fiesta!

Cinco de Mouse-O! – This cute story follows a mouse as he follows his nose to a Cinco de Mayo celebration. The “mouse-eye’s” view of the fiesta is a fun way to put the reader right in the action.

Chicks and Salsa: The farm animals are tired of their usual feed and grab supplies from the farmyard to cook up Mexican specialties. My kids love humorous books like this–the wacky animals are charming and resourceful. There are a few Spanish words thrown in for this fiesta and it makes a funny preparation for Cinco de Mayo dinner.

Off We Go to Mexico: A nice introduction to the geography, customs, and sites of Mexico. Colorful, folk art style illustrations give a sense of how the modern and the traditional meld in Mexico. There is also a Spanish-language edition: Nos Vamos a Mexico!

Celebrate! It’s Cinco de Mayo!: !Celebramos! !Es el Cinco de Mayo! (English and Spanish Edition): A simple, bilingual introduction to the history of the day.

Educational Connections:

• Home Arts: Prepare Mexican dishes to enjoy on Cinco de Mayo.
• Arts: Make papel picado or enjoy the music and dance of Mexico (great summary at ABC and 123).
• Geography: Locate Mexico on a map.  Why are the histories of Mexico and the United States so connected? What different climate regions does Mexico have? What different cultural and ethnic groups live in those regions?
• History: How did various native and European influences contribute to Mexico’s culture?

Last year the kids made photo frames with pressed flowers for the grandmothers for Mother’s Day. I wait a year to share our projects because my mother reads this site!

Materials:

• wood frames (We found these very inexpensively at Michaels. If you just can’t find any, you could cut a frame from stiff cardboard.)
• paint
• pressed flowers
• Mod Podge
• optional: letter stickers (We used gold glitter letters.)
• cute pictures of children

Directions:

1. Pick and press flowers. If you are last minute, I will be posting a tip later this week.

2. Paint the frames. Unfortunately, I cannot find the pictures of the kids painting but they had a grand time with this! You can tell which one my then two year old son painted because it is the classic shade of “toddler brown”.

3. Apply Mod Podge, add pressed flowers.

4. Once this dries, you can also add the letters to spell out “Mom”, “Grandma”, or whatever other term of endearment you prefer. Apply another coat of Mod Podge.

5. Add the pictures and you are done!

Educational Connections:

• Science: Learn the names of mother/baby pairs in the animal kingdom and find out how different animals care for their young. Humans are mammals, a group that is classified primarily by how we feed our babies!
• History (Older Students): Research the history of Mother’s Day. What was the original meaning of the date? When did it become a holiday in the United States? What do you think of the commercialization of Mother’s Day?
• Language Arts: Write an acrostic poem for “Mother” to describe how your mother (or grandmother, aunt, etc.) takes care of you.

“Bees,” my three year old likes to call out, “make honey for me!”

Global warming, diminishing species diversity, and acid rain are “capital P” Problems that seem very far away to a young child. A glob of honey, on the other hand, is immediate and sweet. We have to take care of the bees because they pollinate the beautiful flowers and make us tasty honey.

Raising children who feel connected, in ways both big and small, is our best hope for a better planet.

Last weekend we went to one of the many beautiful wildlife refuges on Long Island for their Earth Day Eco-Festival.

We enjoyed a nature walk through the marshland.

The kids each held a baby Bob White in their hands. So Squee!

Then, wrote “Words on the Wind” on pieces of bleach-free paper and tied them onto trees with yarn that the birds can use for their nests.

They balanced on a make-shift beam…which only goes to show how much fun you can have with a few logs and some lumber.

They made leaf and bark rubbings and I learned a tip: rub the crayon between your hands to warm it up.

This was a slingshot used to fling a squirrel. Allegedly, this was teaching the kids about flying squirrels. I would buy this as a physics lesson but not really a biology one. Oh, well, it was fun and isn’t that enough?

This was one of my favorite activities — a collaborative mural. Definitely planning to do this with a playgroup or our Daisy Troop!

Most importantly, we deepened our ties with the natural world, one fluffy friend, one tree, one trail at a time.

Adults are not so different from children. Self-interest is a powerful motivator. And enlightened self-interest can be a powerful force for good. Energy efficient appliances are not only good for the planet, they are good for the wallet. Biodiversity is a key to an abundant food source and preserving potentially medicinal plants. Supporting local, organic farmers reduces energy consumption and strengthens the local economy–plus the food is healthy and delicious.

We have one world and it is all connected. You cannot put up a fence to keep out pollution. You cannot harm part of our planet without diminishing it all.

Budding branches are among the most beautiful and clear signs that spring has arrived. While we do not have the opportunity to see many cherry blossoms around here, we do see plenty of forsythia heralding the coming spring.

We made twigs bud with tissue paper blossoms.

Materials:

• twigs
• yellow tissue paper
• glue
• white paper

Directions:

1. First, go outside to collect your twigs. My kids love picking up sticks and this step lasted the better part of a morning!

2.  Glue down your twigs on the paper like branches. We find Elmer’s Glue-All is usually strong enough for this.

3. Rip off pieces of the yellow tissue paper, crumple into balls, and paste around the twigs.

That’s it!

Educational Connections:

• Weather: How do the trees “know” when to bud? What changes occur in the spring that help plants grow?
• Science: Explore the life cycle of flowering trees. Look for signs of spring outside. What are the first trees to bud near you?
• Science: Bring a twig with buds  inside and put it in a vase of water. Does it flower and grow? Why?

John Stephens, author of The Emerald Atlas, is joining the Random House Read & Play Community for a LIVE CHAT at 1pm EST on Tuesday, April 24.

Are you a fan who cannot make the chat? Just leave a question below and we’ll do our best to ask it during the conversation! All responses will be archived.

To join in, either use a BlogFrog account or you can login with Facebook! You can chat in the widget below or jump on over to the thread at the BlogFrog powered Random House Read & Play Community!

About the Author: John Stephens spent ten years in television, and was executive producer of Gossip Girls and a writer for Gilmore Girls and The O.C. He holds an MFA from the University of Virginia and was inspired to write novels for children after reading Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.

About The Emerald Atlas (Books of Beginning): A snowy winter’s night. Three small children are chased from their home by the forces of a merciless darkness. Ten years later, Kate, Michael and Emma are no closer to the truth about what separated their family.

The answer lies with an enchanted atlas.

Brimming with action, humor, and emotion, The Emerald Atlas is the first book in The Books of Beginning series & the beginning of a journey that will take Kate, Michael, and Emma to strange, dangerous lands and deep within themselves. It is the story of three children who set out to save their family, and end up having to save the world.

The next book in the series, The Fire Chronicle, hits stores this Fall.

• Visit the official website and watch the book trailer!
• Join the discussion on Facebook
• Follow John Stephens (@johnrstephens) on Twitter

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We’re celebrating spring with lots of floral crafts! Here’s a cherry blossom stamp art project. Bonus: you reuse/recycle a soda or water bottle for your stamp.

Materials:

• brown paint
• pink paint
• white paper
• paint brush
• soda or water bottle

Directions:

1. Dilute the brown paint a little with a drop of water and paint the branches and twigs. I showed my kids how you can get thicker strokes by pressing down with the brush. We also examined branches to see how smaller twigs connected to bigger branches, which connect to trunks.

2. Dip the bottle in the pink paint and stamp! This is the really fun part. It is easy to get carried away!

Let the artwork dry and clean up the mess!

Educational Connections:

• Culture / Art History: In Japanese culture, the cherry blossom representing the ephemeral, delicate and short-lived, appearance of spring. Why is spring seen as delicate and brief? What role does nature play in traditional Japanese art?
• Science: Explore the life cycle of flowering trees. Look for signs of spring outside.

The Lorax speaks for the trees and also the Brown Barbaloots, Swomee Swans, and Humming Fish. Children are drawn to animals, both wild and domesticated. Providing guardianship for the animals who cannot speak for themselves is a natural way that children can live like the Lorax. Little people learn that they can make a big difference.

1. Make a Bird Feeder

Our backyard songbirds are in trouble. Vanishing habitats and food sources, toxic insecticides, and predators like outdoor cats mean that their numbers are dwindling. Upcycle a carton into a DIY birdfeeder so you can enjoy our fine feathered friends while providing food. If you want to do more, add a bird bath and provide some nesting materials.

2. Plant a Butterfly Garden

Planting a butterfly garden is win-win. You get to observe beautiful butterflies and you provide a habitat and food for these pollinators. Don’t forget to plant caterpillar food and host plants as well as the showier butterfly nectar plants.

3. Knot a Fleece Blanket for Shelter Pets

Kids love their pets and want to help all the puppies, kittens, gerbils, and others that have no forever homes. Next time they ask, “Can we keep him?” break out a list of things you can do to help shelter pets. A great craft is to make No-Sew Fleece Blankets, either the traditional knotted kind or these braided-edge no-sew fleece blankets(from Helping Little Hands). You could also collect blankets, cardboard tubes, boxes, and other supplies or bake doggie biscuits(from Teach Mama).

4. Help injured or lost animals

Kids will need your help for this one. First, they should know that they should never touch a wild animal without adult supervision–moving or touching an animal can result in injury to the person and the animal! Young children can learn to go get an adult when they spot an animal in trouble. Always call your local nature center to find out what appropriate action you can take to safely help the animal. Most baby animals that appear lost are actually fine and should be left alone. However, there may be times when an animal needs help–such as assisting a turtle in crossing a street.

5. Count the animals

To help animals, we need to know more about them and their habits. Kids can assists naturalists with their work by counting animals–birds and turtles, especially. Photo by Michael Murphy.

6. Clean-up habitats

Trash can be harmful to animals. By cleaning up habitats, we help create a healthier world for the animals and ourselves. Our Daisy troop is cleaning up a nature trail at a local beach–I found some tips for organizing a beach or waterway clean-up at GreenYour.com andGreen Hands USA. Photo by The Mighty Tim Inconnu.

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Haven’t you heard that orange is the new green? Seventh Generation and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax have joined forces to inspire families to conserve the earth’s resources with conscious consumption. Created with your family, future generations and the environment in mind, Seventh Generation is the natural choice for high-quality and effective products that preserve the air, surfaces, fabrics, pets and people in your home–as well as the world outside. Make a difference by choosing Seventh Generation products, now offering free shipping for orders over $50. As the Lorax says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

How do you live like the Lorax? Tell Seventh Generation below and be entered to win a Green Your Home prize pack !

Prize pack ARV $30. Ends 11:59 PM MT, April 30, 2012. US & Canada only.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Seventh Generation. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

My daughter just moved on to two digit addition with regrouping (that’s “carrying” for us old folks). Since a dime conveniently equals 10 pennies, I thought we could use coins to make the concept more concrete.

We start with the basic concept that each penny is one cent and that each dime is ten cents so one dime is equivalent to ten pennies.

Next, I write out a two-digit addition problem that will require regrouping (the ones column adds up to ten or more). My daughter places pennies in the ones column and dimes in the tens column next to each of the numbers.

My daughter likes to shake the paper a little to “smush” the coins together. This is not necessary but it sure is fun!

The next step is to “regroup” the pennies from both numbers into a group of ten and then the remaining pennies. Exchange the group of ten pennies for a dime.

The dime, of course, wants to go join its other dime friends over in the tens column.

Count up the number of pennies and that will be your “ones”. Count up the number of dimes and that will be your “tens”.

That’s it!

Math manipulatives help kids gain a deeper understanding of key mathematical concepts. Learning this way helps children understand why…beyond just the what. Physically manipulating objects also helps new skills “stick” to a base of experience. Studies have shown that physical activities linked to learning promotes deeper understanding and better recall even in adults.

What tips and tricks do you have for teaching elementary mathematics?

Random House wants to build a community of readers and you are invited!

The Launch Party Live Chat is April 11 at 9:00 PM EST and I hope you will join me and the other community leaders, moms, educators, and Random House representatives, to discuss year long and life long learning!

If you have questions, tips, or concerns, about literacy, summer reading lists, book recommendations, special events and holidays, or more, here’s your opportunity to connect with experts and other moms.

We’ll be giving away over $100 worth of gift cards and great titles to get your kids reading!

It’s easy to join the Read and Play Party:

1. Become a community member

2. Visit The Launch Party conversation from 9-10pm EST on Wednesday April 11th when we turn it live

We hope you can join us and celebrate lifelong reading and learning!

Disclosure: I am serving as a paid community leader for Random House’s Read & Play Community. As always, sponsors are paying me for my time, work, and expertise…all words, opinions, and giddy excitement are my own.