Heart Cactus
Now is the time to grow your Heart (Cactus)! With so much happening in the world, it's important to be courageous and loving. "Grow" a Heart Cactus with just three materials and your kiddos. It's a great time to talk about empathy, courage and love. Constructing these Heart Cactus are a great STEAM exercise too! They require a bit of engineering, a bit of science, and lot of art!
Gather:
*Cardboard
*Acrylic paint/brushes
*Scissors
Create:
1. Cut out many heart shapes. We used five for the plant portion, two for the pot. Two of them will need to be the same size and shape. (These two will become your pot.)
2. Decide what colors you would like your Heart Cactus to be! We chose to use this as an opportunity to discuss warm vs cool colors. We talked about the difference between the two and how to make a contrast of tones by painting the pots in the cool colors and the plant in warm colors.
3. Paint the hearts and allow to dry.
4. Cut off the pointy bottom portion off the "pot" hearts. This is to ensure they stand properly.
5. Cut a slit in the top (or rounded) half of one of the "pot" hearts. Repeat the process on the bottom of the other "pot" heart. Slide them together. The should stand nicely.
6. Cut a slit in each of the remaining hearts and assemble. This can be tricky and promotes learning! Let them figure out how to best assemble for balance.
