We have the most stunning hyacinth bulbs blooming in our kitchen right now. The smell is out of this world delicious and the colour is sooooooo vibrant and fresh and bright, I can’t help but smile every time I walk in the kitchen. I think a hyacinth has to be one of my favourite spring bulbs…as always, growing flowers or just having vases of flowers in the house encourages conversation and discussion, and always gives an opportunity to get creative. Whether its a still life drawing or working with crafts to create an impression, it’s certainly an easy opportunity to get your child inspired creatively.

what you need…

  • plant/flower
  • crayons
  • tissue paper
  • glue
  • card

what to do…

  1. offer your child various coloured tissue paper and crayons
  2. ask them what colour they think the hyacinth is, looking at the petals and the stalk and the leaves
  3. make little balls of tissue paper with the desired colour
  4. then encourage them to look at the shape of the stem and see if they can draw their own interpretation (if it doesn’t look how you would draw it, don’t stop the child, allow them to flow with what they naturally see, as the more they feel confident in their own interpretation, the more enjoyment they will seek out of it and the more beneficial it is for the child – this goes for pretty much every art activity!)
  5. once the stem is drawn, use some glue and stick the tissue paper to create the hyacinth flower

into a little dream adventure…

  • maybe go for a little trip to the garden centre and ask your child to pick out some spring flowers, acknowledging all the varieties, and see which one they choose to take home and draw/paint/craft
  • this is a good activity to talk about textures, colours, shapes and smells, trying to enhance the child’s awareness of their senses