Celebrating May Day in Nature with Children
5 Fun ways to celebrate May Day in nature with kids! Click the images below for more information. Save for later!
Maypole Happiness Trees & Garlands
The last Friday in April is Arbor Day in the United States. (There are several other Arbor Day observances in other countries as well!) I knew I was going to do a May Day post on Arbor Day so I immediately thought of maypoles which were once made from trees. Arbor Day is a day to celebrate and plant trees and I was immediately reminded of an old project we did during covid lockdown to celebrate special trees. Everyone choose a tree that was special to them, in their yard, in a park or somewhere they went every day and decorated it with natural or compostable decorations. We called them happiness trees, in part because they brought joy to others during lockdown. As a part of that project we researched…
Fairy Houses
May Day is said to be a fortuitous time to leave gifts and offerings for the fae. To celebrate we always make a point of building some fairy houses and leaving them some spring flowers and baubles. My kids will build fairy houses independently for hours... In fact, maybe I should be leaving a gift for the fairies! They construct ever growing fairy villages and encampments with different types of buildings, an armory (yes those are fairy swords..) and hidden storage bunkers. There are markets and food storage- what more could a fairy need? The kids spend the day outside being creative and getting fresh air and I don’t need to worry about the fae poisoning my cattle… traditionally many May Day/Beltane rituals were designed to ward off or appease…
May Day Bouquets
My little guys love to deliver flowers to the neighbors on May Day. The goal is to leave the bouquet on their doorstep, ring, and then run off before they see you. Last year, they got caught at one house, but were otherwise undetected. They were extremely proud of their ninja skills and we got to watch one of our neighbors find their bouquet. The look of joy on their faces was amazing!!!May Day is on May 1st each year. It's the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. In some climates it is the start of summer, in mine it’s really the midpoint of spring. Flowers are starting to bloom, asparagus is beginning to pop out of the ground and the chance of a freak snow…
Magical Color Changing Violet Lemonade
Violets are at their best this time of year around us so we pick tons of them (and leave plenty for our pollinator friends too!) to make crafts and recipes. Flowers are an important part of May celebrations historically and people decorated their houses, themselves and their animals. Color changing lemonade is one of our favorites and we make it almost every year. Violets are a pH indicator, so to make this magical drink you’ll actually have to make two beverages and then mix them in front of your adoring fans. We do this by the glass so that every kid gets to perform the magic trick. What is actually happening is that the acid from the lemon is changing the pH of the drink, turning it from purpley blue…
Marshmallow Wands
May Day or Beltane is the first day of May and the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. In some places it marks the beginning of summer, in others, mine included, it is the midpoint of spring. It’s still a bit chilly, but wildflowers are starting to bloom and those “spring” vegetables like radish and asparagus are just starting to come to life. In Japan, the relatively modern holiday of Greenery Day is celebrated just after May Day- and I like the idea of a day to celebrate spring, flowers, gardens and being outside. One of the most important parts of European May Day celebrations were bonfires. Livestock were driven between big bonfires to protect them for the summer. This was the time of year that…