Inspired Materials: Sunflower Seed Saving

Here is one of my favorite Autumn Practical Life Lessons- Sunflower Seed Saving. Like many practical life lessons, removing seeds from a sunflower with tweezers helps young children to coordinate the fine motor movements of their hand, develops finger strength and concentration, and indirectly prepares the child for handwriting by developing their pincer grip. Additionally, it ties in nicely with units about the seasons, botany (parts of a plant/parts of a flower), and gardening.

It takes a surprising amount of finger strength and precision to remove the seeds, and I imagine that most people would be truly amazed by how interesting children find this activity and how long children will persist at the activity.

After all of the seeds are removed, children can roast the sunflower seeds, plant them, or use them to make pinecone bird feeders!

Thanks to Terri Todd, of Mapleton Montessori (Boulder, CO), for introducing me to this work (merely one of many debts of gratitude I owe her).