Jell-O Flower Dig
If you’ve been looking for a fun way to use the flowers growing in your yard, try this Jell-O flower dig activity! This simple sensory bin is taste-safe, easy to prep and only requires a few simple supplies that you probably already have at home.
Servings: 1 sensory bin
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 standard 9×9-inch baking dish (or similar)
- 1 heatproof mixing bowl
- kettle or saucepan to boil water
- jumbo tweezers optional
Ingredients
- flowers (stems removed) as needed
- 1 ½ tbsp unflavored gelatin powder (two 7-gram packets)
- 2 ¼ cups water divided
Instructions
- Use a kettle or saucepan to bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil.
- Add the powdered gelatin to a heatproof mixing bowl. Slowly pour the boiling water onto the gelatin, whisking continuously until the powder has completely dissolved, then add an additional ¾ cup of cold water and whisk until combined.
- Slowly pour the mixture into a shallow dish, then gently push the flowers into the liquid at the bottom of the dish. (It’s normal for the flowers to float back up a little after you’ve pushed them down, but make sure that the petals have come into contact with the liquid first.)
- Gently pick up the dish and place it in the fridge for 3-4 hours, or until the gelatin has fully set. (If desired, you can gently move the flowers around after placing the dish in the fridge to adjust their placement.) Then, add some jumbo tweezers if desired, and let your child dig out the flowers!
Video
Notes
1. Making this activity taste-safe: Gently wash all flowers and use non-toxic or edible flowers like dandelions, lavender, clover flowers, rose petals, strawberry flowers, violets or lilac.
2. Modifying the consistency: To make the jelly softer and reduce the risk of choking for infants and toddlers, decrease the gelatin or increase the amount of water. To add an extra challenge for older kids by making the jelly firmer, increase the gelatin or reduce the amount of water.
3. Helpful tips:
- Wait for full sunlight: Pick the flowers when they are in full bloom after having been exposed to bright sunlight for several hours.
- Gently wash the flowers: Make sure the water is flowing gently when you wash the flowers, as a heavy flow of water can cause them to close.
- Use the flowers right away: To prevent them from wilting, use the flowers as soon as possible after picking them.
- Whisk quickly: After pouring the boiling water onto the gelatin, start whisking immediately to prevent the gelatin from seizing up, and don’t stop until the powder has fully dissolved.
- Pour the gelatin right away: Pick the flowers before you start making the gelatin mixture, and pour the mixture into the dish immediately to ensure that it doesn't have time to set.