15 Fun Solstice Activities for Kids

Solstice Activities for Kids are a fun way to connect with Earth’s natural cycles and teach children to observe nature’s patterns.

Engaging children in solstice activities not only helps them understand the fundamental astronomical concepts but also appreciate how ancient cultures have long celebrated these celestial occurrences.

But before you get started with Hands-on Solstice Activities for Kids, it is imperative to understand what is Solstice and why we have solstice? Is it because of the revolution of the Earth around the Sun or is it due to the tilt of the Earth?

• What is a Solstice
• Why Do We Observe Solstice Every Year?
• Solstice Fun Facts
• Solstice Activities for Kids

What is a Solstice?

Solstice is observed every year and marks the beginning of the next season. With more sunlight hours, we observe the longest day of the year during this time in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, is mostly observed on 20th or 21st June.

The same day is also the shortest in the Southern Hemisphere, coinciding with the onset of winter season.

The opposite of Summer Solstice is Winter Solstice that occurs between 20th and 23rd December. Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of the Southern Hemisphere.

Why Do We Observe Solstice Every Year?

The reason we experience solstices every year is because our planet is tilted at an angle of 23.4 degrees on its rotational axis. That means that instead of being straight in its orbit around the Sun, Earth is inclined at an angle.

As it revolves around the Sun, every year around June 20th or 21st, it is at a point where the North pole is closest to the Sun.

Being closest to the Sun also means plenty of light and that is why at Summer Solstice, we receive sunlight for maximum time during the day. Thus, making Summer Solstice the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.

Now since the North pole is tilted towards the Sun, it implies the South pole must face away from the Sun. Hence, indicating less light and winter season in the Southern Hemisphere.

Just like seasons, solstice also switch across the hemispheres. Summer solstice in northern hemisphere coincides with winter solstice in southern hemisphere and vice-versa.

Fun Facts About Solstice

1. The word Solstice originates from Latin words Sol meaning Sun and Sistere that means to stand still.

2. During Summer Solstice, North Pole gets 30% more energy from the Sun than the Equator.

3. Despite being the longest day, Summer Solstice is not the warmest day of the year. This is because it takes Earth and its water bodies a lot of time (almost a month) to reflect the extra heat received on Summer Solstice and the days after.

4. Days start getting shorter after Summer Solstice in Northern Hemisphere and longer in Southern Hemisphere.

5. The region north of the Arctic Circle witnesses 24 hours of continual sunlight during summer solstice and no sunlight during winter solstice.

6. Around midday on Summer Solstice, the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. On Winter Solstice, the Sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn.

7. Ancient people built monuments to celebrate the winter solstice. These include Newgrange of Ireland, Nasca Lines of Peru and Egypt’s temple of Karnak.

8. Iran’s Yalda festival, China’s Dōngzhì festival celebrate Winter Solstice.

9. A Sundial located at the Ecole Supérieure des Mines de Paris in Valbonne Sophia Antipolis of south-eastern France, reads out the word ’SOLSTICE’ on the shortest and longest day of the year.

Love these fun facts? We have got loads more…check out Fun Facts For Kids – Weird But True!

Solstice Activities for Kids

1. Sundial

Making a Sundial is a perfect STEM inspired craft to celebrate Solstice. It also doubles up as a cool science school project for kids. It integrates elements of math with science perfectly, making it a wonderful STEM project for kids that is easy and fun.

What you will need:

2. Solstice Word Search

This is a fun solstice activity for classroom or home learning where kids compete to find the solstice related words.

A perfect activity for kids of all ages, word search is an excellent way to boost attention, visual deduction and literacy skills.

Solstice Word Search

3. Luminary

Luminaries are an age old winter solstice tradition. Not only they look pretty and mark the transition of seasons, they are a great DIY solstice activity for kids.

4. Solstice Boggle

Get kids to think and work their vocabulary skills with a fun game of solstice-inspired boggle! Sure to get their grey cells working to make new words.

Solstice Boggle

5. DIY Stonehenge

This ancient structure is believed to mark the Summer Solstice and so it makes a perfect sense to make your very own Stonehenge model.

Use a picture of the celebrated structure as reference and design your very own Stonehenge using Jenga tiles or cardboard.

A great engineering project for kids, this one is surely going to delight your kids.

Related: Read these Solstice Books for Kids to learn about traditions associated with it!

6. Solstice Sudoku

This solstice-themed sudoku is a perfect solstice activity for kindergarten kids. Including thematic activities in classroom or at home is an easy way to educate kids about the event/holiday.

Solstice Sodoku

7. Chocolate Chip Marshmallows

Another delicious activity for Summer Solstice, this one needs marshmallows and of course chocolate chips.

Observe the power of Sun’s heat and utilize the longer sunlight with this activity.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on marshmallows and place them in the sun. Be ready to devour melted chocolate chips with marshmallows after a few hours.

8. Solstice Unscramble

Another educational solstice activity for kids of all ages that will sneak in solstice vocabulary deep into kids’ minds.

Great for morning classroom routine!

Solstice Unscramble

9. Sunflower Craft

This is such a cool way to celebrate the Sun and Solstice. Perfect for kids of all ages, this adorable Sunflower craft is sure to make your celebrations bright!

10. Describe Solstice

Help your children come up with their own understanding of solstice. Let the ideas flow freely and let them think about solstice from both scientific and cultural perspectives.

Describe Solstice

11. Sun Catchers

These sun catchers make the perfect decorations for Summer Solstice. What you need is wax paper, crayon shavings and glue.

Step 1: Fold the wax paper into half and draw a sun on one side.

Step 2: Cut the sun out using scissors. You will get two of these.

Step 3: Using a grater, make some crayon shavings in the colour of your choice.

Step 4: Place these shavings on one of the suns. Place the second layer of the sun to hold the shavings and paste the sides using glue.

Your sun catcher is ready. Hang it on the wall or stick it onto a windowpane where it can catch the sunlight streaming in.

12. Pen a Solstice Poem

Give wings to imagination and creativity with this solstice acrostic poem activity. An easy way to build creative writing skills, it will help kids think out of the box to pen their very own poems.

Solstice Acrostic Poem

13. Make Ice Lanterns

A fun alternative to bon fires, ice-lanterns are A perfect winter solstice activity for kids! Kids will love making these lanterns and lighting them up.

14. Sunny Side Eggs

What better way to celebrate Solstice than with a healthy nutritious breakfast treat! Teach your kids to make sunny side up eggs to mark this special day.

15. DIY Sun Photo Frame

Make your solstice celebrations memorable with this simple sun photo frame craft. And even if you do not really observe solstice, this Sun craft is a great way to simply thank Sun for its warmth.

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