Rainbow Flower Garden Colouring

This cheerful picture shows a rainbow stretching over a flower garden after a gentle late-spring shower. Sunflowers, tulips and daisies fill the lower part of the page, while two butterflies flutter between the blooms. A rainbow is not a solid object hanging in the sky. It is an arc of light that appears when sunlight enters tiny drops of water, bends, reflects inside them and separates into different colours. The sun must be behind the viewer, with rain or mist in front. That is why a rainbow often appears when a shower is moving away and sunlight peeks through the clouds. From the ground, we usually see part of a circle, but from high in the air it is sometimes possible to see a much fuller circle. The garden is lively in spring because warmer days and rain help new leaves and flower buds grow. Butterflies visit flowers to sip nectar with a long tube-like mouthpart called a proboscis. As they travel, they can carry pollen from one flower to another. The page uses large, simple flowers so young artists can colour each petal without tiny, crowded spaces. Look for the round sunflower centres, cup-shaped tulips and open daisy petals. Children can enjoy butterflies by watching quietly and leaving their wings and flowers untouched. Begin with the rainbow. A familiar order from the outside edge toward the inside is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, but an imaginative rainbow can use any seven colours. Try to keep each band different from the bands beside it. Make the clouds white with a very light blue or lavender edge. Sunflower petals can be golden yellow around a brown centre, tulips may be red, pink, orange or purple, and daisies can stay white with yellow centres or become fantasy colours. Use two or three greens for stems and leaves. Give each butterfly a matching pattern on both wings, perhaps blue and purple on one and orange and yellow on the other. Long curved strokes work well inside the rainbow, while short strokes fit petals and leaves. Leave a few white highlights so the scene feels fresh and bright after rain.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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Make it an activity

Choose a favourite colour palette
Add a simple background
Display the finished artwork

Grown-up note: Please supervise printing and choose age-appropriate art materials.