[December Holiday Camp Day 1 - Ikebana]

More about Ikebana

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement.

In contrast to the massing of blooms typical of flower arrangement in western countries, Japanese flower arrangement is based on the line of twigs and/or leaves, filled in with a small number of blooms. The container is also a key element of the composition. The structure of a Japanese flower arrangement is based on a scalene triangle delineated by three main points, usually twigs, considered in some schools to symbolize heaven, earth, and man.

Ikebana, one of the traditional arts of Japan, has been practiced for more than 600 years. It developed from the Buddhist ritual of offering flowers to the spirits of the dead. By the middle of the fifteenth century, with the emergence of the first classical styles, Ikebana achieved the status of an art form independent of its religious origins, though it continued to retain strong symbolic and philosophical overtones. The first teachers and students were priests and members of the nobility. However, as time passed, many different schools arose, styles changed, and Ikebana came to be practiced at all levels of Japanese society.

*******************************************************************

Children at Work

Elijah

Allan

Miah

Shu Yi

Julian

Dillon

Ashley

Charis

Faithe

Xin Hui

*******************************************************************

For parents:

Piaget stated that children learn best through active exploration of concrete materials. There you go!

This activity was one of the ideal way for children to grasp concepts. It made use of fresh flowers to engage children in discovering more about Ikebana, nature and their creativity. Children get to touch, smell and see the different varieties of flowers, such as daisies and baby's breath.

The children were encouraged to select and arrange the flowers in their flower pot creatively. Therefore, all the end products were the children's very own work, which gives them a great sense of satisfaction. They were definitely very very proud of themselves when they showed it to mummies and daddies at the end of the day. Well done!

Cheers,
Angeline