Everlasting dandelion clocks

Dandelion clocks are so delicate: the seeds can be released by just a puff of breath. It’s traditional to make a wish as the seeds float away and some say that you can tell the time by counting the number of breaths it takes to blow them all away (how the dandelion’clock’ gets its name!). But if you want to preserve the fluffy white seed head, you can keep them in a jar so that the wind doesn’t blow the seeds away. They look so beautiful, like a moment in time preserved. This activity is great as you can also see how the dandelion clock forms after the flower has blossomed.

What you will need:

Dandelions that have just finished flowering
A glass jar
Wire
A small pebble that fits in the lid of your jar
Scissors
Glue dots or blu tack

What you need to do:

Pick a few dandelions where the flower has finished blooming and the fluffy white is just visible.

Take one dandelion and cut the stem to the length you want it to be so that it fits in your jar.

Insert a wire into the stem so that it just pokes into the head (to provide some support when it opens).

Wrap the end of your wire around your pebble a few times to secure the dandelion to the pebble. If your jar is big enough, you can add another dandelion to the same pebble.

Place the pebble inside the jar lid and secure with a blob of blu tack or a couple of glue dots. This will stop the pebble moving about if you pick up the jar when you want to have a closer look at the dandelions…which you will!

Gently place the glass jar over the lid and screw it into place. You might need to adjust the dandelions so that they don’t touch the jar.

Now you just wait for the magic to happen! Over the next few days the dandelions will start to open and you will have fluffy white dandelion clocks. Some open much more quickly than others - on the day I picked these, some had opened before I got a chance to use them!