It is one of Miffy’s favorite times of the year – the season when the flowers bloom! Flowers, especially tulips, play an important role in Dutch culture, and Miffy’s creator Dick Bruna made sure to incorporate flowers into his artwork. This month, our activities are dedicated to Miffy’s Dutch heritage and beautiful tulip blooms. Don’t forget to show us your unique May flowers on Instagram or Facebook!
Tulip Sponge Paint
Paint a pretty garden of tulips in every color for Miffy and her friends to play in.
What you need:
Paper towels or newspaper
Paper
Kitchen sponge
Scissors
Paper plate
Kids craft paint
How to make sponge paint art:
1. Lay down paper towels or newspaper to protect your painting surface from spills or accidents. Lay out a piece of white or colored construction paper as your canvas.
- Lightly wet sponge. Use scissors to cut the sponge into a tulip flower shape (like this).
- Arrange dots of kids craft paint on one or several paper plate ‘palettes’.
- Dip tulip-shaped sponge into paint, completely covering the shape. Stamp onto a paper canvas. Repeat as desired, cleaning sponge under running water before changing colors.
- Using fingers or a paintbrush, use green paint to draw stems, leaves, and grass.
- Leave to dry flat completely before hanging.
*Safety disclosure: Adult assistance required for sponge-stencil cutting.*
Snack-tivity: Healthy tulips
These colorful flower-shaped snacks are simple, beautiful, healthy and tasty!
Ingredients and supplies:
1 large, thick carrot
1 cucumber
1 block of cheese (any type – we used cheddar)
Toothpicks
Knife
Spoon
Directions:
- Cut carrot “flower” into rounds, then cut two triangles out of the top in the shape of a tulip.
- Cut cucumber “leaves” into rounds, and then in half to form semicircles. Using a spoon, scoop out the seed-filled center, leaving the hollow, C-shaped outer part.
- Cut cheese “base” into cubes.
- Assemble flower, leaves, and base onto toothpicks. Cheese cubes should be large enough that the snack can “grow” vertically from the plate! Enjoy!
*Safety disclosure: Use caution with toothpicks. Arrange elements flat on a plate to omit toothpick if desired.*
Songs for Dutch tulips:
Be transported to Miffy’s home country of Holland with a song inspired by the famous Dutch tulip fields, sung in Dutch and English:
“Tulpen uit Amsterdam” (pronounced “TULL-pin out AHM-ster-dahm”)
Listen to the Dutch version first, then the English version. What makes these songs similar? What makes them different?
Miffy Fun Activities 
