Ikebana

The children have been making Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangements) again this week. They have been using small glass dishes with kenzans inside (frogs) for holding the flowers. The children have been making the arrangements with forsythia greenery and purple pompoms and maroon daises. In Japanese flower arranging, the two main branches represent heaven, the longer upright branch and earth, the shorter, lower branch. Shin or heaven stands for vision or aspiration, sense of direction or where we would like to be going. Hikae or earth represents solidity and practicality. The human element, Soe represented by the flowers, points to how human beings can join the ideas of heaven and earth together.

The children seem to really enjoy making these arrangements and have definite ideas about how their arrangements should look. They like to talk about how things grow. Someone mentioned that we need water in the dishes so that the greens can grow. This was followed by mention of how big trees also need water. A young lady of four then mentioned that she had seen a raccoon by a big tree the evening before. The children express delight at the beautiful flowers and choose the colors of the flowers carefully. They often mention that they want their Moms and Dads to see their arrangements. Please take a look at the children’s floral efforts the next time you drop off or pick up your child.