Watercolour cork print easy poppy craft

I think it’s really important to try to explain to our children about who we are remembering on Remembrance day, why we wear poppies and have a 2 minute silence. I don’t find it easy, because of course it involves talking about war and death and sadness, but it is still important. This CBBC Newsround explanation is great for children.

Once they understand the significance of the poppy, it’s nice to do an easy poppy craft with the kids which they can display and share with pride. I’m not sure my kids will be able to stay silent for 2 minutes (they are only 3 &4), but at least I hope they will be able to understand why mummy & daddy aren’t able to talk at that time…

To make this easy poppy craft, you will need:

watercolour paper (not essential, but it does give a better result than other types of paper)
liquid watercolours (we used green, red & black)
corks
paintbrushes (optional)
newspaper/messy mat to protect your work surface

How to do this watercolour cork print easy poppy craft:

Squirt some liquid watercolours onto saucers or a palette (we used old jam jar lids for this)
Dip your cork into the red watercolour and use it to print a poppy shape
You can use the edge of the cork to create stems & leaves, or you can paint these with a brush
Once the red petals are dry, you can make a black central print with a cork to give a distinctive poppy shape.
Of course the results will vary, but this activity is great for kids of all ages. Chops (age 3), started off printing with the cork, then used it (and his fingers) to mix colours on the paper and to splat and spatter paint. Pickle (almost 5) preferred to use to cork to lift watercolour and then let it splash onto the paper creating a smaller splatter bloom. You can see both boys’s pictures, plus mine below.