Nectar the Butterfly Guesses First

Nectar is a graceful, bright-winged butterfly who flutters from bloom to bloom, and Nectar has a favourite little game she plays every single time a new baby flower is about to open. She GUESSES its colour first.

“Ooh, a new bud, all closed up tight!” Nectar says, landing softly beside it. “Buzzle just crossed a red flower and a white flower to make it. So… what colour do YOU think the baby will be? Guess first! Before it opens!”

That’s Nectar’s whole delightful idea. Don’t just wait and see - make your best GUESS first. “Hmm,” Nectar muses, wings fluttering. “Red and white parents… I’ll guess… red! That’s my guess.”

And THEN - the exciting part - the bud slowly opens, petal by petal, and reveals its true colour. Sometimes it’s exactly what Nectar guessed - “Red! I was right!” - and she does a happy twirl. And sometimes it’s a surprise - “Oh! WHITE! I didn’t expect that!” - and she laughs with delight.

“And here’s the best bit,” Nectar says warmly. “Guessing first makes it fun EITHER way. If I’m right, hooray! If I’m surprised, ooh, how interesting - I’ll look closer and learn why. A guess is never wasted. It makes me watch the reveal so much more carefully.”

A young bee nods thoughtfully. “So even when you guess wrong, it’s still good?”

“Especially then!” Nectar beams. “A surprise means there’s something new to notice. Guess first, then reveal - that’s how you turn every new bloom into a little adventure.”

That is Nectar’s fluttery, playful idea.

Before the bud opens, guess its colour - then watch it bloom! Right or surprised, guessing first is the fun.

A grown-up can play too! Play “guess first” with anything hidden - what’s for dinner under the lid? What colour car comes round the corner next? Make your guess OUT LOUD first, then look and see. Right or surprised, the guessing makes it exciting - and it makes you watch closely.

When the new bloom finally opens and Nectar sees whether her guess was right, she flutters up in a happy spiral, either way. “Guessed first, then found out,” she sings. “Right is lovely, and surprised is interesting - and every single time, guessing first made me look, and wonder, and enjoy the reveal.”

Guess first, then watch it bloom. That’s Nectar.