On Tuesday, the 21st of June, people in the Northern Hemisphere will celebrate the beginning of summer. This is also the longest day in the year, also known as the summer solstice. And, while this is an interesting astronomical phenomenon, for educators it represents a great opportunity to teach kids new things in a fun and informal way. To get inspired and see exactly how to achieve this, keep reading to see the summer solstice activities we’ve prepared!
Did you know that people from all over the world have had summer solstice rituals and specific celebrations for thousands of years? Yes, before the excitement over the upcoming summer break, warm weather, and vacations on a beach, people believed that the summer solstice was a mystical event signaling the return of the light, fertility, growth, and the harvesting season. In fact, many cultures still hold ritualistic festivals to celebrate the favorable season.
However, today, we know the real reason why we have summer and winter solstices, equinoxes, and other astronomical phenomena. Associating this knowledge with the fun traditions from the past or simple summer activities under the open sun is a great way to capture children’s attention, while creating a memorable lesson.
What is the Summer Solstice?
Before we dive into the practical summer solstice activities, it’s a smart idea to give kids some theoretical background to spark their interest and make the activities more meaningful. After all, knowing why and how this day is special will only make them more invested in the activities we’ve prepared for them.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that part of the lecture is best learned when it’s taught in combination with the activities. For instance, learning the names and characteristics of specific plant species is probably best while kids are gathering flowers and making a floral crown.
The Science Behind the Summer Solstice
Now, let’s discuss the summer solstice. As we’ve said in the beginning, the summer solstice is an astronomical event where the day is either the longest (Northern Hemisphere) or the shortest (Southern Hemisphere) in the year and it marks the beginning of summer (Northern Hemisphere) or winter (Southern Hemisphere).
The reason behind this event is the tilt of the Earth’s poles. The solstice means that one of the Earth’s poles has reached its maximum tilt toward the Sun.
For kids to understand this, they have to have at least a basic knowledge of the solar system, the planets, and the Earth’s rotation around the Sun. In case they don’t, use this opportunity to teach them this, starting from the beginning.
Since the Earth has two poles and people are scattered all around the world, when one of the poles is maximally tilted toward the Sun, the other one is maximally tilted away from the Sun. This means that people who live on one side of the world (Northern Hemisphere) will experience the longest day of the year, while people on the other side of the world (Southern Hemisphere) will experience the shortest day of the year at the same time.
In addition, don’t forget that each pole gets maximally tilted toward and away from the Sun in one year, meaning each Hemisphere experiences both summer and winter solstices on the same day, only completely reversed.
This might be a little too overwhelming for kids to get their heads around, which is why you should check out our in-depth worksheet pack about the summer solstice. Inside the Summer Solstice Facts & Worksheets, you’ll get historical information, scientific facts, other cool cultural facts, as well as 23 in-depth and ready-to-use worksheets.
Summer Solstice Activities to Celebrate with Kids
Now that we’ve got the theory out of the way, let’s talk about fun summer solstice activities that kids of all ages will enjoy! Plus, we promise that everything we recommend is very easy to do, regardless of whether you’re in a classroom or in a home setting.
Organize a Nature Walk or a Bike Ride
The beginning of summer signifies good weather which is incredibly tempting. Kids know this better than anyone. Therefore, make them happy by organizing a picnic in the park next to you, a walk in nature, or a hike to a hill close by.
If you’re a teacher, then organizing lectures outdoors, even in the school’s backyard will be exciting too.
The main goal behind this activity is for kids to spend some time out in the open, spend energy, observe the flourishing nature around them, and have fun with their classmates or family. This means that taking a ball is highly recommended.
Of course, if you want to make the trip more educational, you can always include additional activities such as observing, analyzing, discussing, gathering or identifying previously learned things.
Gather Fresh Herbs
As we’ve said in the previous paragraph, there are many ways to make the most out of a nature walk, and gathering fresh herbs is one of these ways for many reasons.
First, gathering flowers, tree leaves, and other herbs is a great way for kids to create their own herbarium. All they have to do is gather unique plants, dry them out, and find as much information as they can about the plants.
Second, gathering herbs and drying them later is a great way for kids to make their own tea blend (with your guidance, of course) or compose a beautiful decoration as a centerpiece or on the wall.
Third, you can teach your child how to soak the herbs in oils for using them as salves or for cooking.
Finally, you can gather flowers with your child so you can both create floral crowns later (our next summer solstice activity).
What flowers to pick? Here are some traditional summer flowers and herbs that are safe for the gathering:
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Mint
- Rose
- Rosemary
- Tyme
- Daisy
- Dandelion
Make Flower Crowns
Daisies and dandelions make for an amazing floral crown that all kids will fall in love with. Girls will especially be excited to create crowns out of flowers as they’ll get an opportunity to play princesses or queens. However, don’t leave out the boys. With a little bit of creativity you can make two different crowns and tell boys they can pretend to be princes.
To make a crown out of flowers with kids simply follow these youtube tutorials!
- How To Make A Daisy Chain Crown
Subscribe to KidsKonnect on YouTube →- EASY DIY FLOWER CROWN with Wildflowers
- How to Make a Dandelion Flower Crown
Teach Kids to Create a DIY Sundial
Did you know that NASA has a manual so everyone can make their own sundial? Since this is way too cool, it will teach kids new skills, and it’s great entertainment for the summer, which is why we’ve included it in our summer solstice activities.
Nasa’s manual comes with detailed instructions that will take you step by step in the process. Plus, it comes with a printable, which makes things so much easier. Have fun and teach kids how to tell the time by looking at the sun!
Fly Kites in the Park
Flying Kites in the park became a craze in the mid-’70s and slowly lost popularity since then. However, that’s not a reason why you wouldn’t surprise kids with this fascinating activity. Flying kites is another great activity while spending time in nature.
In the following tutorial, you can see how to make a homemade one, but in case you don’t want to bother, on Amazon you can find some mind-blowing shapes and patterns of kites which will leave kids absolutely thrilled.
Kite Flying: How to Make a Homemade Kite
Make a Summer Bucket List
The summer solstice is the moment when summer actually begins, which is just the right time to give kids some time to think and write a bucket list for all the things they want to do or accomplish during the summer. This can be anything, from going on a vacation to a specific location, or building a treehouse, to visiting relatives, learning a new skill, taking up a new hobby.
Making a summer bucket list is fun, but at the same time, it’s an amazing tool for reflection and emotional maturity. Kids will learn a lot about their desires, their wishes, and when written down, they’ll be more motivated to pursue them.
If you want to make things even more interesting, after finishing the bucket list, take the list from the children and tell them that you’re going to keep it. When they come back to school in autumn, you’ll give them the list back to check and see whether they lived up to it.
Teach Kids About Astronomy
Since summer solstice is an astronomical event related to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, it would be suitable to teach kids something more about astronomy this period. The lesson doesn’t have to be realized exactly on the 21st of June, but you can also honor the event during the weekend, or during the week when you can organize interactive classes.
The best way to teach kids astronomy is with a telescope, a fun tool such as the DIY sundial, or tickets to an astronomy museum or planetarium that offers educational shows for kids. That being said, since the pandemic, a lot of planetariums have become more flexible and have most of their programs online, which is a good opportunity you can use.
Another valuable resource is our Space section in our worksheet library. We have dozens and dozens of astronomy-related worksheets that you can download and utilize in the classroom or at home.
Before You Leave
When you think about it, there are so many things to do outside on a long summer day. Hopefully, we have inspired you with at least a couple of summer solstice activities that work well for both you and your child!
Nonetheless, you can always find more on our website. Simply browse through our worksheet library and find what works for you. When it comes to solstices, we also have a worksheet pack on the winter solstice, equinoxes, and dozens of relatable topics in our science (Earth Sciences, Space) and seasonal sections.
In case you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, then our “Teach Kids About the Winter Solstice” article will surely come in handy. Just like in this one, we share a lot of educational information, provide teaching resources, and finish off with some amazing ideas about celebrating the winter solstice with kids.
And, while we’re on the topic of useful guides and articles, let us remind you to head over to our blog and subscribe to our newsletter. We regularly share insightful content for teachers and parents all around the world.
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