Happy Solstice

Today we read my favorite book about the first day of winter, called The Shortest Day:  Celebrating The Winter Solstice.  I love how it told of the different ways the world has celebrated and recorded this particular seasonal change.  The illustrations were beautiful, and there are actual experiments noted in the back, like measuring the length of a shadow like the Chinese did over 3,000 years ago.

We were lucky enough to have a dusting of snow, and a snowball fight!

We sang the Birthday Celebration song, with a twist ending for today.  If you have a candle and a globe, you can travel while you sing.  Be sure the child only travels 1/4 of the way around the sun, one trip around would be one year.

The Earth goes 'round the sun
The Earth goes 'round the sun


It takes twelve months, fifty-two weeks, three hundred sixty-five days.
And now it's winter (we ring a bell, our favorite from the Christmas Tree).

Here is a link to a wonderful site about this day:

www.candlegrove.com/solstice.html