6 Enchanting Ways to Celebrate Beltane with Your Kids and Connect with Nature!
As a witch and mother, I love celebrating Beltane with my family. Beltane, also known as May Day, is a special festival that marks the beginning of summer and the season of growth and fertility. It's a time to connect with nature, honor the changing of the seasons, and indulge in some festive fun. Here are six wonderful ways to celebrate Beltane with your children this spring:
Make Fairy Houses: One of my favorite Beltane traditions is building fairy houses with my child. It's a great way to encourage his imagination and creativity. We gather natural materials like sticks, leaves, and flowers to construct the houses, and add small figurines or decorations to make them even more magical. Sometimes even a Lego figure or two makes its way into the scene. It's amazing to see the joy and wonder in his eyes as he builds little fairy homes and finds a special place in the yard to tuck it away. Feel free to use this time to break out the air dry clay and natural paints too. Allow your children the space to create a bit of art magic of their own.
Bake Fairy Cakes: Beltane is also a time for feasting and celebration. My child and I love baking fairy cakes together and decorating them with a drizzle of honey and sprinkles of tiny flowers. Sometimes we even make them in the shape of flowers to add to the festive atmosphere. Try my Honey Cake recipe. Take tiny cuts of cake, place them on a large, sturdy leaf, and leave them in the garden.
Maypole Dancing: Maypole dancing is a traditional part of Beltane celebrations, and it's so much fun for children and adults alike. It's a great way to celebrate the season of growth and renewal while getting some exercise and fresh air. Check local meetups to find a Maypole dance near you. Often Waldorf schools will honor this tradition and open it to the public.
Plant a Garden: Spring is the perfect time for planting and growth, and it's a great opportunity to teach my child about nurturing and caring for living things. We choose a sunny spot in our yard, or you could go to a nearby community garden, and plant some herbs, vegetables, or flowers we had previously started from seeds indoors. It's a beautiful way to connect with nature and watch as our garden grows throughout the season. I always dedicate an area of my garden as my son’s garden for him to have his own space to tend and decorate. The bed is filled with painted rocks, rainbow sun catchers, carrots (a favorite!), and lots of flowers. Giving him autonomy over his own space has really increased his participation over the years. Plus time spent in the garden watching me as really increased his knowledge and interest in herbalism - a wonderful skill to take into life.
Make Flower Crowns: Flower crowns are a beautiful and festive accessory for Beltane celebrations. We gather some fresh flowers and greenery and weave them into a crown or wreath. It's a wonderful way to celebrate the beauty of spring and connect with nature. Start with a strong base such as honeysuckle vines, willow, or grape vine. Then go nuts adding flowers, grasses, and leaves. Each crown becomes a unique piece of art to wear or hang on your witchy front door.
Build a Bonfire: In many cultures, Beltane is celebrated with a bonfire. Not an option where we live unfortunately. We build a small fire in a safe location (our backyard fire pit) and gather around with our family. We tell stories, sing songs, and end the day with campfire churros, cooked over the flames. When my son was very little, I started telling him stories about Fred the gnome, below is a Beltane verse about Fred for you to enjoy too! This time as a family at the end of the day is a powerful way to celebrate the changing of the seasons and connect with the primal energy of fire.
In addition to these six wonderful ways to celebrate Beltane with your children, I would also like to invite you to join me on a journey of re-wilding, witchy herbalism, and art magick through my online community, The Inner Circle on Wind Moon Magick. It's a special space where we can connect with like-minded witches and learn more about our craft. The Inner Circle is a place to share our experiences, ask questions, and grow together as witches. I can't wait to welcome you into this magical community.
Beltane is a beautiful time to connect with nature and celebrate the changing of the seasons. Whether you choose to build fairy houses, bake fairy cakes, dance around a maypole, plant a garden, make flower crowns, or build a bonfire, there are so many ways to make this holiday special for your family. And don't forget to join me in The Inner Circle for even more witchy fun and learning!
