Many children get a lot of enjoyment from the colors of pretty leaves and flowers, but they're often sad when the flowers wilt. Here's one way to preserve those treasures of nature. Let your child put some paraffin in a tin can and place the can in a pan of water. For the next few steps you may need to take over. Place on the stove at low heat. After the paraffin has melted, turn off the flame and dip a flower or leaf into the wax. Twirl in around to coat all of the surfaces, and then let it dry on a newspaper. For the next step, you can use the child's help. You'll need a fine-grained kitty litter that hasn't been colored with artificial dyes. Let your child pour several inches of kitty litter into a microwave safe bowl, and place the plant in the bowl. Next, have him or her cover it with more kitty litter. Then you can put the bowl in the microwave along with a two cup container filled with water. Microwave at a medium-high setting for one to four minutes, depending on the denseness of the petals. A daisy will normally need between one or two minutes, a chrysanthemum will need three to four minutes. After microwaving, allow the flower to dry in the bowl for one day. Remove it, spray it with hair spray, and your child will be able to enjoy it's beauty for a long time.
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