If you’re impatient for spring to arrive, bring some spring-flowering branches indoors to bloom.

What You Need

• Spring-flowering branches (forsythia, dogwood, apple, honeysuckle, flowering quince or pussy willow)
• Garden clippers
• Hammer
• Vase

What You Do

1. Collect Branches
   On a nice winter day, take your child on a walk to collect such branches as forsythia, dogwood, apple, honeysuckle, flowering quince or pussy willow. Encourage your child to look for branches with lots of buds. Using a pair of garden clippers, cut the branches in lengths of about 1-2 feet.
2. Put Branches In Vase
   At home, crush the cut ends of the branches by pounding them gently with a hammer. Have your child arrange the branches in a vase of warm water. (Crushing the ends helps the branches to “drink” the water.)
3. Wait For Blooms
   Put the vase in a spot that gets lots of sunlight, and change the water every two or three days. The branches should bloom within a couple of weeks.