7 Activities to Celebrate May Day With Kids

If you’ve been reading us these past couple of weeks, you might have noticed just how many spring observations there are during April and May. The reason for this is very simple – from ancient times to this very day, people enthusiastically greet the return of the warm weather and all the benefits that come along. Kids know this best as they’re incredibly happy playing out in the sun. And, thanks to our May Day activities, you can make them even happier by celebrating spring, flowers, and the sun. 

What is May Day?

The origins of May Day are not exactly known, but historians are quick to point out several different spring festivals and celebrations from ancient times that might be the beginning of what we call today May Day.

According to Kids Britannica, May Day’s origins can be traced back to ancient Europe and the Middle Ages when people held special festivals celebrating the end of winter and welcoming spring. These were important events as spring signals growth, meaning people would be able to plant and grow crops once again. 

May Day is also associated with the ancient festival of Beltane, the festival of Chloris (Ancient Greeks), and Floralia (Romans). The last two are celebrations in honor of the goddesses of flowers. 

However, over time, May Day became an observation associated with a maypole, anonymous gift baskets, and a workers’ day off in some countries – similar to Labor Day in the USA. 

So, how to celebrate May Day with kids this year? We’ll give you some ideas by sharing seven fun and creative May Day activities for you and the kids, or the whole class. 

7 May Day Activities for Kids

Like we mentioned in the beginning, May Day is traditionally associated with the maypole and anonymous May basket, which is why we’ll start our list with those two activities. However, there is so much more you can do, so keep reading. 

Make a Maypole and Dance Around It

In case you’re not familiar with it, a maypole is a painted pole, a wooden stick (or even a wood trunk) that has colorful long ribbons attached on one side near the top of the pole. Kids take the other, loose side of the ribbons and dance in circles around the pole. 

While its origins remain unknown, the maypole is frequently associated with the nations of Germanic Europe in the early medieval time. The maypole is said to represent the Earth’s center around which people happily dance or its a remnant of the Germanic reverence for sacred trees.

Anyway, the tradition has remained because the maypole is a great way to engage kids in a fun outdoor playful activity. 

All you’ll need is a long pole (you can buy a galvanized metal pipe from Home Depot for less than $2), a wooden circle ( around 8”), the glue that holds metal, colorful ribbons, and other flowery decorations (optional).  

Glue the wooden circle on top of the pole and decorate it with flowers. You can also spray the pipe or cover it completely with ribbons so it looks nice. Then, all you need is to attach the kids’ ribbons on the top and place it in the backyard. 

Together with the kids, learn a couple of spring songs on which you cheerfully dance and sing, then organize a May Day event where kids can show off what they’ve learned around the maypole. 

Make May Day Baskets

The second May Day tradition is leaving anonymous May gift baskets on your neighbor’s porch and running away. Again, we don’t know how exactly this tradition evolved, but it’s another exciting and fun activity for kids! 

The May baskets can be filled with anything, making them as simple as a few flowers and a “have a good day” card, or as complicated as themed baskets with special treats and gifts. The main idea is for kids to have fun and brighten someone’s day, so keeping it simple might be the better option. 

To make the May Baskets, take the kids on a hike or a spring walk and help them gather flowers. Then, together, you can clean and arrange the flowers in the basket and add a DIY “have a good day” card made by the kids. 

Another idea is to gather tea herbs or other healthy plants, instead of flowers, and again, make a “stay strong and healthy” gift basket. 

You should, of course, allow the kids to choose whom to leave the basket to.

Teach Kids How to Make a May Day Crown Out of Flowers

We can’t make a May Day activities list without including a flower crown for kids. They’re so dreamy, creative, and they allow kids to “pretend play” outside all day long. Most kids want to imagine they’re princesses, but kings and queens wear crowns, too, so this May Day activity can be a fun entertainment for all kids. 

Most importantly, “pretend play” or dramatic play, supports the child’s optimal development, meaning they’ll be learning valuable skills while playing outside! 

There are numerous different ways to make a DIY flower crown, but we believe the following tutorials are some of the best choices, since they’re simple and easy-to-follow. Check them out, but don’t forget – you can always change the types of flowers, making the crown with real or paper flowers. 

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Plant Flowers

Spring is also the perfect time for some gardening activities that will produce some mesmerizing blooms in the summer. With this May Day activity, kids will learn some valuable gardening skills, which represent amazing stress relief, help make the backyard much more beautiful, and they’ll learn about plants’ life cycle. 

To organize this activity, you’ll need some basic gardening tools, seeds or plants that are ready for planting, and a good planting spot. 

The best flowers for planting in spring include: 

• Weigela
• Daffodil
• Crocus
• Rhododendron
• Sweet Alyssum
• Grape Hyacinth
• Pansies and Violas
• Primrose
• Hyacinths

Organize a Picnic in the Park

The weather is getting warmer and together with the more intense sun rays, kids may become restless and more energized. This might signal that it’s time for a change of scenery, fresh air, and a short break. 

All this can replenish the children’s energy and give them new motivation for the upcoming classes. Therefore, it might be really beneficial to use the opportunity of the upcoming May Day and organize a picnic in the park or a closeby lake, or another local nature sight. 

Ask the kids to bring a lunchbox, because you have a surprise for them, and then walk together to a nearby location where you can all sit together and enjoy the weather. Make some delicious treats for the kids and prepare interesting team-building activities that will help you form better connections with all the students. 

Held an Outdoor Lesson

Another variation of a picnic in the park is if you actually transform the traditional lecture and hold the teaching outside! This can be as spontaneous as “Oh, look how nice it’s outside! Kids grab your notepaper and let’s go have the lecture outside in the school backyard,”, or a planned activity that’s also a picnic, team-building opportunity, and a lecture about something related to nature. 

Since it’s a break from the ordinary, holding your lecture outside will be a lot more memorable experience that kids will keep with them for years to come. Plus, we have to take every chance we get to spend time outside, considering how long we’ve been inside due to the pandemic. 

Combine Hiking with Teaching

Finally, with our last recommendation for this year’s May Day activities, we want to touch upon the importance of physical activity and children’s health. 

While the cold, harsh weather has limited us in this regard, now is the perfect time to promote healthy habits and activities that will bring kids right on track! Going on a hike while teaching kids about nature or human physiology and physical activity is a great way to honor spring. 

Plus, while you’re hiking, kids can use that time to gather unique flowers for their May basket, plant some trees, or learn about the specific properties of different herbs, flowers, and trees.  

Before You Leave

People are outdoorsy organisms, meaning that we need the sun to thrive. However, modern life keeps us inside and in front of the computer most of the day, especially this last year with the pandemic. Children are probably most severely affected by these changes, which is why we strongly recommend taking some time off and celebrating May Day in one way or another. 

We made sure to include May Day activities that are fun, affordable, and easy to follow, so regardless of your situation, you can engage in at least one of the activities. And, to help you out even further, we have ready-to-go, hands-on worksheet bundles and lesson plans for almost any spring topic. You can download them with just one click. Simply, visit our website and browse through our massive library of worksheets, or make a shortcut and directly head over to our Spring and Summer sections. 

Last but not least, we invite you to check our blog and subscribe to our newsletter to be the first one to receive all the upcoming content and new updates on the website. On our blog, you can find insightful guides, tips, and tricks, as well as teachers’ advice for almost every aspect of a child’s education.