Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand

Craft your own flowers to say ‘thanks’

Be inspired by all the flowers in the Te Papa collections and get crafty. Draw, paint, print, sculpt, embroider, or stitch. We have all worked hard to look after each other in our bubbles and around the country. It’s a good time to let people know how much you appreciate them, whether it is for birthdays or weddings, or just because you care.

Education type

Whānau challenge

Inspiration

Collections Online

There are so many items with flowers in the collection – from art to textiles, Pasifika, mātauranga Māori, and science! Be inspired by these below or browse for more on Collections Online

Rita Angus, Waterlilies, 1950, watercolour. Te Papa (1998-0028-7)

Sarah Featon The mountain lily, about 1885, watercolour. Te Papa (1992-0035-2277/73)

Waistcoat, about 1780, France, maker unknown. Bequest of Mrs Alec Tweedie, 1946. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Te Papa (PC000042)

Mary Hannah Tyer, Artificial flowers, 1885, Wellington. Bequest of Mrs Mary H. Quin, 1956. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Te Papa (PC000268)

Blossoms of the new beginning tīvaevae manu, Vaine Ngaro, 2000. Te Papa (FE011604/1)

Shodo Kawarazaki, Morning glories about 1951, Kyoto. Te Papa (2016-0008-20)

Watch a video on how to upcycle your plastics into flowers

Other resources

Sarah Featon’s love of New Zealand flowers.

Stop motion plants

Can you make a stop motion of a plant growing? There’s an example in the video below.

Introduction to stop motion – English
Introduction to stop motion – te reo Māori

  • Three kids make a rainbow from toys and other household items

    Whānau challenges

    Try some creative challenges at home with your whānau. Each challenge is connected to Te Papa’s collections or expertise.

  • A little boy copies an artwork in a Minecraft game

    Make a 3D version of an abstract 2D artwork

    Early childhood, Primary

    Choose an artwork from the collections and try and replicate it in 3D – you can use everyday objects and materials at home, or make it on the computer.

    Whānau challenge