Play in the mud – Whether you decide to visit a an open space with known mud puddles, a section off an area of your yard for “muddy play,” turn an old plastic container or water table into a mud bin, or go all out and create a mud kitchen (such as this one), nothing says spring like playing with mud!Ģ. You made it through another winter, and after months of chilly weather and dressing your kiddos in countless layers to stay warm, the coming of spring is certainly something to celebrate! Read on to discover some activities, craft ideas and books you can use to celebrate the spring equinox with your family. Derived from the Latin term for “equal night,” the equinox marks one of two days throughout the year when the sun shines directly on the equator, making the length of day and night approximately equal.

You’re making a sundial clock!ĭiscover the history of traditions surrounding the Spring Equinox by reading Wendy Pfeffer’s “A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox.What is the Spring Equinox? Also called the vernal equinox, the spring equinox marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and occurs on March 20 this year. Continue to check on your sundial adding rocks for each hour that passes.Predict where the shadow will be at the next hour.Come back at 11am, has your shadow moved? For example, mark with a rock where the sundial casts its shadow at 10:00am with a rock (write 10 on the rock with your marker). You can use something to prop it up, or put it into a container of rocks if you can’t get your stick into the ground yet. Set up your stick so the end sticking into the air points north, casting a good shadow on the ground.You can use a compass (there may be one on your adult’s phone) for this. Next, choose your sundial spot (someplace with plenty of sunlight, away from buildings and trees).Wrap it in fabric, paint it, hang beads and feathers from it! Leave a section at the base free of decoration where you’ll stick it in the ground. Head outside and hunt for a straight stick for your sundial and rocks or acorns to mark times you’ll record throughout the day.It was made by CREA summer interns, Alex and Lily! You can harness the power of the sun to record time on a sundial! Watch this short video on how to make a sundial. People have made creations that use the sun to tell time for thousands of years, long before clocks and watches. Saturday Mais the Spring Equinox – on this day we are exactly half way between the shortest day of the year and the longest day of the year! Check out this fun video to learn about our planets journey around the sun:

1 Stick and small rocks, shells or acornsĭo shadows stay in the same place all day? What about all year? How do shadows change from winter to summer?.

A new beginning wendy pfeffer