Looking for family Summer Solstice Celebration ideas and inspiration?

The light is longer, the days are warming. The sun is rising more toward the East, small tohu (signs) have been marking a shift in the seasons.

Today the Summer Solstice is here, the sun is in the highest point in the northern sky, and rises long before the children for a change.

Around the world the Summer Solstice was revered as one of the most important times of the year. Light meant life for many cultures, who looked to the moon and stars to chart the year, and relied on the sun to grow crops, healthy animals, and maintain the health of the people.

Raumati / Summer is a special time of year, a time of energy, and light, of growing, and working, and of fullness and play and celebration.

There is much to celebrate at this time. Did you know that Winter marks the beginning of the New Year for many cultures – in the Northern Hemisphere they are celebrating this now.
Though here in the warm Southern Hemisphere, the energy is different. Busy. A break from work and school and summer holidays. But not necessarily the best time to make new year resolutions!
Living out of tune with the seasons can leave us off balance. We can take time to anchor into the right season, the present moment, with some Summer Solstice Celebration ideas.

It can be hard to quieten and commit when life is bursting and busy.
The Summer Solstice is still recognised as an important yearly marker and is celebrated in many countries throughout the world.

This time of celebration invites us to come together, to play, to celebrate, to grow while the sun shines.

Here are some easy ideas to celebrate the Solstice, at a time when Christmas and New Years celebrations take the spotlight:

SUMMER NATURE MANDALA –

Each season brings new plants into flower or fruit. What can you create with natures artistry? What is blooming now?
Look around your garden, or school, or neighbourhood for flowers and fruits.
Or head to the beach and create with shells, seaweed, leaves or pohutokawa blossoms. Create spirals in the sand as art, or as a labyrinth to walk.
Slow down, play and create!

EAT OUTSIDE –

The weather is warm. Christmas is in the Southern Hemisphere. Eating outside is a treat through summer, though it is a privilege for our summer Christmas, one to be cerebrated, rather than holding on to Northern Hemisphere traditions. Hoe can you take festivities outside? Beach Christmas? At the park?
We once had Christmas lunch in the forest. My 93 year old Nana though that was marvelously unique and special Christmas.
Be creative, but go outside.

KAI HARVEST –

Heading to the garden is so rewarding this time of year. What is growing now?
Fruits such as berries, plums, cherries and rhubarb are all at different stages of ripeness.
Peas, zuchinni, and if you are lucky, cherry tomatoes, all ready for picking.
You may see citrus fruit hanging on the tree from the winter season, which becomes extra sweet now. Some may be dropping to the earth.
And fruit still ripening such as peaches and apples.
Edible flowers can be picked to adorn salads or desserts. Observe it all!
What can you eat fresh or pick to make a meal from tonight? Give thanks for your meal, think where it came from and how long it took to grow.

View NZ seeds: veges, edible flowers, fruit trees, herbs, edible weeds >>

EATING SEASONALLY –

If you don’t have a garden then Summer is the time to give it a go! If you live in a small, or rented space, you can grow things in pots fresh produce at your home. Or join a local community garden and connect as you learn. It promotes healthy eating for our tamariki / children, fosters care for our world. The changing times of our world have seen a resurgence in gardening, taking care of ourselves, promoting health. Learn about what is in season right now and buying local produce. Can you visit a farmers market? Have a discussion about what’s in season with your tamariki.

LEARN ABOUT THE SUMMER SOLSTICE –

This Solstice and Equinox nature journal is full of information and illustrations to help explain the Solstices and Equinox for kids. Designed for family learning, It contains journal pages with prompts to get kids noticing the seasons, celebrating equinoxes and solstices, and leaping to the stars to understand how our magnificent sun and earth dance together to give us these seasons. It also comes with an earth/sun orbit model you can make to help deepen learning, through all 4 solstice / equinoxes.

View Equinox and Solstice Resource Bundle Printable Download >>

SUMMER NATURE HUNT –

Each season brings its own magic and encouraging kids outside to observe and treasure hunt connects them to the season and their environment. Over summer months, the leaves on provide a shady green space, and we take ourselves to cool near beaches and rivers, and we plant in our garden to take advantage of this warm growing time. These spaces bring their own magic observations, different creatures come to visit, summer adventure can be had.

Check out our NZ Summer Nature Hunt – these hunts can be printed and used year after year, deepening kids understanding and noticing through all seasons!

View NZ Summer Nature Hunt >>

SUMMER SOLSTICE SWIM –

Some brave souls swim all year around. Some have not swum yet. If not, why not make your first dip memorable? Celebrate the Summer Solstice with the first swim of the season. Beach, pool, river, lake? Take your pick!

SUMMER WALKS –

Walking and noticing the seasonal changes, what feels different? What time of day is best to walk? Where does the light sit? What do you see, on the branches, on the ground? What is the water temperature like? The air temperature? What clothing is needed? Sit and notice quietly for a moment. Bring awareness to these things, discuss with children / tamariki.

MAKE SEASONAL HERBAL POTIONS OR BALMS –

Capture the season in a bottle and make a healing balm of your choice using seasonal plants. Why not try this Calendula Balm recipe using Calendula flowers that thrive through the summer months. You can also get your Calendeula seeds, and sow them now for colour through the Autumn and Winter seasons.

View Calendula Balm recipe >>

OBSERVE THE SUN AND MOON POSITION –

Watch the sun rise or set and note the sunrise/set times and take note to compare between seasons.
Observe the sun and its patterns on these longer days, take note, and compare to other times of the year.
What time does it rise and set each day? Where do you first notice it rise above the horizon? Where do you see it set below horizon?

SHARED CELEBRATORY MEALS –

Family and friends get together to celebrate Christmas and the New calendar Year. The festivities often extend through the month leading up to the actual holiday, with many Xmas parties and get-togethers prior. Eating outdoors is a special thing to do to celebrate, and also handy to compile some ideas for easy, yummy picnic food, to accompany family summer adventures.

SUMMER NATURE TABLE –

Setting up a nature table deepens understanding as it visually supports what our tamariki are observing about the seasons. Use silks or scarves in warm summer colours, have baskets for placing fruit or  treasures such as shells, or sea glass, or flowers.
Add some meaningful learning resources such as our Seasonal Wheel Wood Print or Montesorri Seasons (for the Southern or Northern Hemisphere).

• View Seasonal Wheel Wood Print >>
• View Montesorri Seasons Prinable >>

CELEBRATE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SEASON –

‘Tis the season to be jolly, yes, but many of the traditions that accompanied ancestors settling here are linked with a sense of nostalgia to the homeland, rather than linking with the season. Adapt celebrations to align and connect with Summer: get outdoors, get moving, eat lightly, eat seasonal food. Now is the time for work and social fun. Action the plans you made in winter. There will be time for rest, just as nature does, in the cooler months.

MAKE AND LIGHT A CANDLE –

It is a lovely family tradition to create your own candles for special celebrations. In our home we roll our own out of beeswax, which is a simple activity that even young children can do. Use these candles during your winter meals, give as gifts decorated with some twine and beautiful nature poked in, or reserve for special dates such as new or full moon, Summer Solstice or remembering loved ones. Check out our rolled beeswax candle kits to gift or make.

View Rolled NZ Beeswax Candle Kits >>

YOGA SUN SALUTATIONS –

Ancient cultures knew and valued the importance of the sun. Sun Salutations are a yogic sequence of movement (asana), breath (pranayama) that when performed together bring our awareness inward and into the present moment. It is a tradition amongst some, who perform 108 sun salutations to celebrate the equinox! This is inspiring, though training is required to build up to such an impressive number. Performing a few rounds with gratitude in your heart can be a lovely exercise, practicing alone is a nourishing action at this busy time of year, or modify and make it fun to do with the kids. Remember the essence of the sequence, is gratitude to the sun.

SUMMER SOLSTICE OBSERVATIONS –

The summer solstice can be over shadowed by the Christmas and New Year period being so close. Make time to mark this day of much light! Measure the sun and moon positions and shadow lengths to compare to other seasons, acknowledge how the seasons flow through one another, that the Northern Hemisphere are in their darkest time. You can live stream the English Winter Stonehenge Solstice sunrise, or connect in our own backyard at Aotearoa Stonehenge, or place markers of your won near home!

GIVE THANKS –

How often do we give thanks to the world around us? Particularly, to the sun?
The sun is THE essential source of energy for all lives on our planet.
No sun = no light for growing = no eating. No sun = no warmth = no cycles of water and wind that create our rain.
It is so essential and so taken for granted. Give a little appreciation from your heart to the sun today. Marvel at the amazing, simple, complexity that connects and supports all life here.

SUN AND EARTH ORBIT MODEL –

Use this printable Earth Moon and Sun Model as an easy teaching resource – simply print and make.
Students can color and cut out the Sun, Earth, and Moon, then connect the pieces together with a paper fastener
to create a moveable model. This model visually helps them gain understanding as to how the Moon orbits the Earth and how the
Earth orbits the Sun.

View Earth, Moon and Sun orbit model >>
View Earth, Moon and Sun orbit model on TPT >>