Celebrating Spring Equinox
The Spring Equinox is an exciting time outdoors. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing to their mates, bees are busy gathering pollen and nectar. The energy of the earth is alive and vibrating. So how do you include the Spring Equinox in your life? Easy! Get outside, make crafts from natural materials, and forage for spring greens to eat.
More About the Spring Equinox
The Spring Equinox (or ‘vernal’ equinox) marks the beginning of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere. On this day of the year (like the Autumn Equinox), the lengths of day and night become more balanced, as the path of the sun crosses the celestial equator. This means longer days and warmer weather! During this time of year, we are moving from longer nights and colder temperatures to extended daylight hours and the renewal of nature, new life, and growth. Simple celebrations and activities that help us connect to nature are a great way to honor this time of year. We’ve gathered some of our favorite suggestions for children and families to enjoy this turning point of the year together.
Here are a few of our favorite ways to connect with Spring:
Create a spring nature table.
Creating a spring nature table is a great way to bring the outdoors inside and have a place to put all those treasures your little ones fill their pockets with. A nature table is a wonderfully open concept and can fit any space. If you already have a winter nature table set up now is the time to change its contents to reflect spring.
Bring in a bouquet of flowers, maybe sprout some seeds in a pot for fresh grass. Try our egg carton seed starter tutorial to get started! When building your spring nature table, incorporate whatever calls to your family. You can explore more tips and ideas for creating your own nature table on the Sparkle Blog to help find some inspiration!
If you are using seeds or sprouting seedlings, try singing this seedling song together to honor the experience (you can find it in the Martin & Sylvia Story “Tender Seedlings "Tender Seedlings")”:
“Mother Earth! Take our seed and give it birth! Father Sun! Gleam and glow! Until the roots begin to grow! Sister Rain! Sister Rain! Shed thy tears to swell the grain! Brother Wind! Breathe and blow, Then the blade green will grow! Earth and Sun, Wind and Rain, Turn to gold the living grain!"Bring out spring books.
There is something magical about books. Whether you read the book or listen to it read aloud, you get to imagine a whole new world separate from your own that sends you on an adventure. Books and stories in our house are a huge part of the daily lives of many families. And there are so many lovely books about spring! Here are some of our favorites:
- Spring, by Gerda Muller
- Miss Rumphus, by Barbara Cooney
- Emily and Daisy, by Elsa Beskow
- Flicka Ricka Dicka and the Strawberries, by Maj Lindman
- And Then It's Spring, by Julie Fogliano
Listen to Spring Sparkle Stories.
‘Tis the season of profound transformation! Along with the return of migrating birds, the blooming of flowers, we experience our own kind of resurrection and liberation. Take a peek at two of our favorite springtime playlists.
Use natural materials to dye eggs.
Spring is a time of rebirth for all of the natural world – from cute little rabbits to birds and tree buds. Eggs have long been a way of celebrating this time of year, in part because they are so abundant. This tutorial is an especially fun one to do with your children. You'll probably want to make the dyes a day or so in advance so you don't have to spend all morning making the dye first.
Make wet felted eggs.
These are so easy to make. Take some wool roving of any color, roll it into a tight ball and dip it into warm water with soap and roll it between your hands. Continue to dip and roll until the ball becomes hard. Then allow to dry completely on a towel.
Forage for spring greens.
Spring is filled with yummy greens like dandelions and nettles. Wild edibles are nature’s gift of free food. The original super foods packed with vitamins and minerals and that little bit of extra wild energy. You might even have some wild edibles right in your backyard or neighborhood. Here are a few sparkle recipes to get you started (you’ll also find some helpful tips for hunting wild edibles):
Take a nature walk on the Spring Equinox.
The Equinox is a day when all parts of the world have both equal day and night. There is a balance between light and dark. To round out your Spring Equinox Celebrations, take advantage of it and explore the newly awakening world!
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About the Author
KC Pagano
KC is a full-time radical homemaker and mama to two spunky little girls. She writes about all kinds of radical goodness, from gardening and cooking with whole foods to crafting, sewing, homeschooling, and mama musings. Read more on her blog The Nettlesome Life.
