After the rain

                                    

I've been out and about with a class of five and six-year-olds today; we spent a very enjoyable hour in the glorious herb and flower gardens of the Geffrye Museum. The recent and plentiful rainfall had every plant looking its very best, but luckily the rain stopped and the sun shone while we were outside. As we strolled around the grounds I encouraged the children to look carefully at how delicate and numerous the colourful petals were, to notice the lushness of new green leaves and to spot the jewel-like droplets of rain adorning some of the plants. 

Their teacher took plenty of photographs - I wish I'd had my camera with me; these pictures were quickly snapped on my iphone after the session - but the main way they recorded what they saw today was to sketch and then colour (using watercolour pencils) their favourite flowers. There were so many plants to choose from - some sketched wisteria, roses and poppies, others peonies, irises and violas - and soon their pieces of paper were in full bloom. 

Back in the classroom they magically transformed their drawings into watercolour paintings by adding water with paintbrushes. They all left the museum very happy, clutching their beautiful - and still damp - watercolours; the pictures looked as fresh and as vibrant as the gardens themselves, after the rain.