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Dandelion Picking. Great Way to Get Your Kids Outdoors

May 7, 2012 By: Anna8 Comments

Dandelions Waiting to Be Picked

Dandelions Waiting to Be Picked

Is your yard riddled with dandelions?  Instead of cursing those cute yellow moppet tops, consider harvesting the greens and flowers.  Yes, my friends, you have real gold out there.   What a great way to get your kids outside to play with the added benefit of picking your dandelions.  From your harvest,  you can make dandelion jelly (coming up on the blog,) enjoy the greens,  or simply discard them.  But first, let’s talk about how to get your kids dandelion pumped.

Suggestions to Get Them Excited

When I was young, my father would pay us $10 each to pick the dandelions.  I guess his theory was if you pulled the flower head off, it couldn’t go to seed.  No seeds, less dandelion.  Worked for me as I pocketed the money.

Since being small and closer to the ground, pulling the heads were fun.  Now, that I am older with more parts that hurt, dandelion flower pulling isn’t an activity that I relish.

Here are some ideas on how to get your kids pumped to pull dandelions:

  • Offer a prize for who can pick the most dandelions.
  • Pay them by the bucket.  Give little ones smaller buckets.
  • Time them and make it a game.
  • Create a treasure hunt so when they reach a certain amount in the bucket, they get another clue or treat.
  • Turn the sprinkler on them as they pick the dandelions.
My kids are teenagers so bribery won’t help unless it is in the form of a large plasma TV.  They have their standards. However, there are young kids in the neighborhood who would love to get paid or given a treat to pick my dandelions.

Pulling the Dandelions Advice

If you are going to make dandelion jelly, I would suggest to pull only fully opened flowers.  If not, let them pull the buds too.  Also, if you are pulling them, snap them off where the flower meets the stem.  Otherwise, you will have to go through your bucket and snap off the stems to make jelly.
Don’t worry about how the flowers are pulled if your kids are in charge of this activity.   They will be so excited (or exhausted) and will help you separate the stems from the flowers.  (Don’t you just love kid enthusiasm?)
So, what are you waiting for?  Those dandelions aren’t getting any younger.

Join the Conversation

  • Was I the only one who got paid to pick dandelions?
  • Do you have a fun activity to encourage your kids to pick the dandelions?
  • If dandelion picking isn’t your thing, then do you have a holistic way of ridding your lawn of them?

Similar Posts:

  • Dandelion Jam Prep: The First Step: Dandelion Juice
  • How to Harvest Hibiscus Calyxes
  • Weeds Are Just Unloved Flowers
  • Top 5 Fall Garden Maintenance Tips to Make Spring Gardening Easier
  • Dandelion Root Tea: Coffee Substitute with Added Benefits

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About Anna

Anna Hackman is the editor of Green Talk, and owner of The Naked Botanical and a avid (okay obsessed) gardener. She also loves video and podcasting and hosts Green Talk TV and Green Talk Radio. Her most important role is being a mother of four boys.

Chat with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest , and Google+.

Comments

  1. 1

    Josette says

    May 9, 2012 at 3:05 am

    Great picture of this flowers. Love it. I agree with you that if going to make dandelion jelly, I would suggest to pull only fully opened flowers.

    Reply
    • 2

      Anna@Green Talk says

      May 9, 2012 at 3:15 am

      Josette, thanks for the compliment about the picture. Anna

      Reply
  2. 3

    Hyane Y. Dollard says

    May 14, 2012 at 12:30 am

    We know it’s a kind of short notice, but very valuable and informative post! It was a grateful feeling to get some learning here…Good thing you post such useful information like this.

    Reply
  3. 4

    jane says

    May 23, 2012 at 7:15 am

    I always wanted that my little princess will explore into the happiness, I let her do what she want, whereas I know it won’t hurt to her…

    Reply
  4. 5

    Heidi19 says

    May 30, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    This can be a great outside activity that will last for many days and doing outside activities like this also teaches kids. Thanks for sharing this to us and i’m looking forward to read more from you.

    Reply
  5. 6

    Lisa J says

    April 12, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    I hire my little ones to pick dandelions for me too. We make a number of things from the flowers like jelly, bread, and fritters as well as dye for fiber. It keeps them busy and is helpful to me. Then we’re all rewarded with a bread and jelly(we call it honey) treat afterwards.

    p.s. kids are also great at picking up acorns… 😉

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Dandelions « Happenings on the Hill says:
    May 16, 2012 at 11:31 am

    […] Dandelion Picking. Great Way to Get Your Kids Outdoors (green-talk.com) […]

    Reply
  2. Dandelions Bloom « Haiga 365 says:
    July 14, 2012 at 8:37 am

    […] Dandelion Picking. Great Way to Get Your Kids Outdoors (green-talk.com) […]

    Reply

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