Find an activity
Back to ideas

Make · Wild and Tumble activity

Well-dressing petal pictures

An old tradition, a petal-perfect picture. Press petals and leaves into a slab of clay to make a picture.

  • 25 min total
  • Messy fun
  • Ages 3–5*
  • Outdoors
  • Spring and summer
Let's do this

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 5 min to prepare · 15 min to create · 5 min to tidy. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • A tray or board covered with a thick layer of soft clay
  • Fallen petals, leaves, seeds and small twigs

Let's begin

Five simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Talk about well dressing, a Derbyshire tradition of making flower pictures in clay.

  2. Draw a simple shape in the clay with a stick: a rainbow, a sun, a flower.

  3. Press petals and leaves into the clay to fill in the shape.

  4. Together

    Pack them close together so no clay shows.

  5. Stand it up outside and admire it.

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

If you enjoyed this

More little ideas like this.

All activities