Cattails bring forth childhood memories from my time in New York. I remember this perennial grass growing around ponds with red winged blackbirds perched upon them. When they went to seed, my friends and I would pull off the tuft and raise our arms in joy as it enveloped us and floated away. Magical.

Cattails grow up to ten feet tall in wetlands and reproduce rapidly. They are used in flower arrangements and the long flat leaves are woven into mats and baskets. Parts of cattails are edible. Watch the video below for more information.

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Simple to draw, encourage your young artists, to include cattails in a piece of artwork.

Play the game, I Spy. Read a children’s picture book about pond animals (ducks, turtles, or frogs) and check to see if the illustrator incorporated cattails in the story.

Another engaging book for young naturalists: