I may be revealing too much about my age, but I can’t imagine growing up without playing with dandelions at some point in my life. One of my earliest dandelion memories was when a neighbor girl held a dandelion under my chin to see if I liked butter. Since my chin seemed to glow a little reflecting the yellow blossom, she concluded that I liked butter. Somewhere along the way I learned to make a daisy chain with dandelions by making a small slit in the stem of one dandelion and passing the stem of the second blossom through it. Then repeating the process several times to make a necklace. A few years back I helped Kyra, a neighbor girl, make one. She was very proud of it. Kyra is now a college student.

Don’t get in too big a hurry to mow off those dandelions. They are a great source of entertainment for children as well as food for a variety of pollinators and birds. The stems of dandelions have a little known trick of their own. All you need is the stems and a container of water to make dandelion curlicues. These pictures show the simple steps:

Kyra knew another trick that we have probably all tried at one time or another. Who hasn’t blown on a ball of dandelion seeds and watched them scatter? Did you make a wish before you blew on it?

Children need to spend less time on their cell phones and more time in the out of doors. They need the fresh air and sunshine, and so do you. Spend a few minutes trying some of these dandelion tricks with your children, grandchildren, or any child you know. What other nature play-time activities do you remember from your childhood?

Can you still find a 4-leaf clover?

Do you know how to make a whistle with a blade of grass? Hold it tightly between your thumbs, press your lips against your thumbs and blow hard.

Can you make a popping sound with a large leaf? Make an “O” with your thumb and first finger, lay the leaf across it, and pop it by smacking it with your other hand.

Can you think of any other outdoor tricks can you share? If so, please add them in the comments below.

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