Hand-in-hand a class of four and five year olds come marching up the alleyway and into the garden accompanied by excited mums, grandmums and their teachers. We love it! What an age to be!
They split into two lots and half go into the studio with the potter and helpers, and the rest go off with their art folders looking for interesting things to draw.
The potter always has some fun questions for them...."Name 10 garden birds?"...Answer..."sparrow, robin, thrush and George!"...."George?" ..."yes one of the baby ducklings is called George"..."Well that makes sense doesn't it."
"Let's make some fish".
They'll be fired and glazed and returned to be "oohed" and "aahed" over by parents and grandparents in September.
How clever is that!
Meawhile out in the garden....
there are butterflies to look for... and draw...
...a cat to be drawn and stroked ....[or avoided, depending on how you do it!]
...a labyrinth to walk...
...as one little boy said, "We found a maze"...and I said, "Amazing!"
...while another informed me that he had.....
" found a wood with a secret seat in it!"
Then after squash and biscuits and a spot of picnic lunch on the grass....
...and many trips to the loo....
....off they go 'til next year and another lot come laughing down the alleyway.
