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“Thank you, Akikos!” erupts a ring of smiling preschoolers sitting in circle-time. Every boy and girl gratefully grasp a single, thorn-free rose given to them by Joe Hewitt. “It’s always nice to help out in the community,” smiles Joe.

It’s time for early STEM learning at the Wellsboro Montessori Children’s Center thanks to generous floral donations by Akikos Floral Arts. “The kids love looking at real life objects instead of just pictures,” explains Dolly Boder, lead preschool teacher. Their natural curiosity for experimentation and figuring out how things work sets them on solid ground for learning STEM principles in this way.

Their assignment is to scientifically observe their delicate treasure with their senses. All around the room 3 and 4 year olds begin smelling their flowers, feeling the velvety texture of the petals, and plucking leaves. While some gently pull back petals with cautious fingers or tweezers, others boldly snip their buds into a new shape with scissors or snap the stem to discover the white center. “There’s a present inside!” exclaims one excited preschooler as he discovers the undeveloped seeds within.

The hardest part? Waiting their turn at the dissection table, of course!

To learn more about Akikos’ beautiful selection of flowers and gifts or the Montessori program, please call the numbers below:

Akikos Floral Arts
31 East Avenue
Wellsboro, PA 16901
800-548-0465 or 570-724-7509

Wellsboro Montessori Children’s Center
1 Queen Street
Wellsboro, PA 16901
570-724-1060