Flower soup
Mix flowers, leaves, and water together to create your own imaginary "flower soup". A simple, nature-based sensory activity that sparks imagination and outdoor play.
NOTE: This is a great activity for talking about biodiversity and caring for our environment. Encourage your child to gather mostly fallen petals and other loose treasures, picking only a few wildflowers if needed. Tiny choices like these help keep our bees and butterflies happy! 🌼💕
Flower soup is one of those timeless play ideas - kids gather flowers, petals, and leaves, then stir them into a big pot or bowl of water to make their own colourful, fragrant "soup".
There’s no recipe, just creativity and curiosity. Children love scooping, pouring, and mixing while experimenting with colours, textures, and scents.
This kind of play encourages sensory exploration, fine motor skills, and imaginative role play. Best of all, it’s low-prep and uses whatever nature offers - wildflowers, fallen leaves, herbs, or even grass clippings. It’s messy (in a good way), magical, and endlessly engaging.
Materials
Prep
Step 1:
If doing this indoors, optionally lay down a waterproof mat (we like to use a cheap potting mat from garden centres for sensory play!)
Step 2:
Fill a bowl or bucket with water.
Step 3:
Gather a mix of safe wildflowers, petals, and leaves. (This can be part of the play too). Choose mostly fallen flowers and use this as a good opportunity to educate your little ones about butterflies, bees and biodiversity.
Step 4:
Set out spoons, ladles, or cups for stirring and scooping.
Play
Step 1:
Add petals, leaves, and flowers into the water.
Step 2:
Stir and mix to create your “soup.”
Step 3:
Scoop, pour, and experiment with different combinations.
Step 4:
Pretend to serve bowls of flower soup to your “guests.”
Extend
Potion making: Add food colouring or glitter for extra sparkle.
Herb Garden Twist: Use herbs like mint, basil, or rosemary for a scented sensory soup.
Citrus Splash: Add slices of fruit for colour and fragrance.
Fizzy flower play: Add some vinegar and bicarb soda to the play for some fizzy fun.
Flower sort: Pick off petals and leaves and sort them into muffin trays by colour or type
