The winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year, a celestial event steeped in science, seasonal change and rich cultural tradition.
Teaching children about the Winter Solstice can be a rewarding opportunity to blend education with hands-on fun, the turning of the year and nature appreciation.
In this guide, we’ll explore child-friendly explanations of the winter solstice, interactive learning ideas, ways to incorporate cultural traditions, and how to make it meaningful for kids of different ages.
What is the Winter Solstice? Explaining It to Children
To begin teaching children about the Winter Solstice, it’s important to explain it in simple terms.
A winter solstice occurs when one of the Earth's poles is at its maximum tilt away from the sun.
In the Northern Hemisphere, this happens around December 21st or 22nd.
For young children, you might explain it as:
"The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year when we get the least sunlight. After this day, the days start getting longer again."
For older children, you can delve into the science:
"The Earth orbits around the sun while tilted on its axis. Because of this tilt, during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, we face away from the sun, which makes our days shorter and nights longer. The solstice is when this tilt reaches its furthest point."
You can demonstrate this with a flashlight and a globe or even use different sized balls to show the Earth’s tilt and orbit, making the concept more visual and understandable.
Use this Winter Solstice pack to guide you, along with fun activities for kids:
Why the Winter Solstice Matters
Teaching kids why the Winter Solstice is significant can help them to appreciate its significance.
Solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years by many cultures.
It marks a turning point in the seasons, often associated with hope, light, and renewal.
It's a great way to connect children with nature’s rhythms, something increasingly important in our digital age.
Emphasizing that ancient peoples noticed patterns in the sky and used them to mark time, harvests and celebrations can help us all to tune into the Wheel of the Year.
The solstice represented survival, change, the gradual return of the light, and preparation for the future.
You can highlight how even today, many cultures continue to honour this celestial moment.
Winter Solstice Around the World: Cultural Connections for Kids
Integrating multicultural perspectives helps children to understand that the winter solstice is important across the globe.
Here are some ideas and practices to discuss:
Yule: In Northern European pagan traditions, Yule was a celebration of light returning. People lit fires, candles, and Yule logs. Some of these practices have been carried on into traditional Christmas celebrations.
Dongzhi Festival: Celebrated in China and other parts of East Asia, this festival involves spending time with family and eating warming foods like dumplings.
Inti Raymi (Southern Hemisphere): Though celebrated during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter in June, Inti Raymi honors the Sun God in Peru with dances and rituals.
Stonehenge and Newgrange: You can also explore ancient sites built to align with the solstice sun, like Stonehenge in England or Newgrange in Ireland.
These cultural lessons can be taught through stories, short videos, simple crafts, or foods associated with the celebrations. Create your own Winter Solstice party!
Storytelling: A Natural Entry Point
Children of all ages naturally respond to storytelling so this is a great way to engage them in talking about the shortest day of the year and Winter Solstice.
You can use myth, folklore, and picture books to make the Winter Solstice relatable.
Oak and Holly
The Holly King and the Oak King story is a wonderful seasonal myth that is perfect for storytelling.
The Oak King represents summer, light and growth, peaking at Midsummer, while the Holly King represents winter, darkness and death, ruling during Midwinter.
They are locked in an endless cycle fighting for supremacy, with one king's reign transitioning to the other's at the solstices, reflecting the cyclical nature of the year.
The two kings meet in battle twice a year,at the solstices, to fight for the "Crown of the Year".
At Summer Solstice, the Oak King is at the height of his power, and the days are at their longest.
The Holly King then defeats him at Winter Solstice and reigns through the quiet dormancy of winter.
This continuous cycle ensures the balance of light and dark, death and rebirth, and the changing seasons throughout the year.
The struggle between the kings reflects the natural cycles of life, death and renewal: a reminder that death is not an end, but a necessary part of the cycle that allows for new growth to begin.
Best Books About the Winter Solstice for Kids
There are many books and tales that explore winter themes, the return of the light and the cultural traditions associated with Solstice.
Here are some of our favoruites that come out year after year:
Just click on the pink writing to find out more or to purchase.
A beautiful collection of folktales from diverse cultures, this book shares how people around the world have honored the winter solstice.
Each tale highlights themes of light, renewal and hope.
This story introduces children to the seasonal myth of the Holly King and Oak King, two brothers whose alternating reigns represent the shifting light of the year.
A gentle, nature-based tale perfect for teaching the Wheel of the Year.
A heartwarming original tale about a badger who helps bring back the sun after the longest night.
It blends whimsy, nature, and friendship into a child-friendly explanation of the winter solstice.
A poetic celebration of the solstice, this book illustrates humanity’s long tradition of welcoming back the light.
Lyrical language and expressive illustrations make it perfect for reading aloud.
In this cheerful, imaginative story, a baker brightens a cold, gloomy town by making a magical sun-shaped bread.
Bright artwork and a real recipe invite kids to join the fun.
A quiet, reflective tale that follows a small community as they gather together to welcome the return of the sun.
Its gentle rhythm and beautiful illustrations emphasize connection, warmth, and wonder.
A nonfiction introduction that explains the winter solstice through history, science, and global traditions.
Ideal for young readers, it offers clear explanations and engaging visuals.
Storytelling can be enhanced with acting, a shadow puppet theatre, or simply reading around a fire or by candlelight to create atmosphere.
Connecting to Nature and the Seasons
The solstice is a perfect opportunity to help kids connect with nature.
Consider taking a short outdoor walk to observe seasonal changes and to look for signs of winter.
Even in cold weather, children can:
- Notice how trees look without leaves.
- Track animal tracks in the snow or mud.
- Observe how early the sun sets.
- Collect natural materials for solstice crafts.
This winter walk scavenger hunt is a great way to get kids excited about being outside in the wintry weather:
Encouraging your kids to keep a seasonal journal or a nature journal with drawings or descriptions of what they see helps deepen their observational skills and emotional connection to the earth.
You can also make simple sundials and measure shadows at different times of day to explore how the sun's angle changes.
Hands-On Learning Activities
Hands-on activities help solidify learning.
Teaching kids more about the Solstice through crafts, baking and simple experiments can be fun.
Try making:
- Suncatchers: Create colourful sun-themed suncatcher crafts using tissue paper, contact paper or recycled materials.
- Orange candle holders: Hollow out oranges, carve designs, and place a tea light inside, symbolizing the return of the sun.
- Solar system mobiles: Build a mobile showing the Earth’s tilt and orbit to demonstrate solstice science.
- Bake Sun bread or cookies: Bake treats shaped like the sun and talk about their symbolism (perfect for pairing with the book Sun Bread).
Keep the focus on exploration, creativity and the symbolism of light returning.
But remember, it doesn’t need to be Pinterest-perfect, just fun to do, and what matters is engagement and meaning.
Celebrating the Returning of the Light
A central theme of the Winter Solstice, embraced by all celebrations at this time of year, is the return of the light.
Celebrating this with children can help them feel hopeful and joyful during the darker winter months, when they can often get fed up with the weather and being stuck indoors.
Plan a simple evening celebration that includes:
- Lighting candles or lanterns as a symbol of the light coming back.
- Singing songs or reading poems about the sun and light.
- Sharing a special family meal or dessert.
- Reflecting on the year that’s passed and hopes for the one ahead.
Consider turning off electric lights for an hour and using candles or flashlights to make the event more memorable.
This sensory experience creates a strong association with the theme of light in darkness, perfect for Christian families thinking about the birth of Light on Christmas Day.
Science Integration and Educational Tie-Ins
If you homeschool, you can connect Solstice lessons to broader science topics.
You could tie the Winter Solstice into unit studies about:
- The Earth’s rotation and revolution.
- Seasons and weather changes.
- How animals and plants adapt to winter.
- Solar energy and how light affects the planet.
For older children, consider simple experiments like measuring the sun’s path using a sundial over several days or graphing daylight hours leading up to and after the solstice.
Grab our Equinox and solstice bundle for informationa nd activities for all four celestial events of the year:
Art and Music to Enrich Learning
Art and music naturally enhance emotional and sensory learning.
Ask your children to paint or draw their impressions of winter or the sun returning.
Create solstice-themed mandalas with warm and cool colours.
Incorporate music by listening to or singing seasonal songs.
Many traditional winter songs and Christmas carols have their roots in ancient Winter Solstice celebrations.
Percussion instruments or bells add to the festive feeling - and the fun!
Encourage Reflection and Family Connection
The Winter Solstice can also be a time of gentle reflection.
Even younger children can express what they’re grateful for, what they’ve learned this year, and what they hope for in the coming months.
Journaling, drawing, or simply sharing aloud in a circle can be powerful.
Use guiding questions like:
- What did you learn about nature this year?
- What do you hope to do in the new season?
- What was your favourite thing about this year?
These simple rituals help build emotional intelligence and a sense of belonging, both essential for healthy child development.
Making It an Annual Tradition
The beauty of solstice learning and celebration is that it can become an annual family or homeschool tradition.
Children thrive on rhythm and repetition, and each year they will understand a little more.
You don’t need to do everything every year.
Even a small ritual like lighting a candle, sharing a story, or going for a walk to look for signs of winter, can make a lasting impression.
Over time, your Winter Solstice celebration will become a touchstone of warmth, wonder, and learning.
Grab this mega pack of seasonal scavenger hunts (and more) to add to your year:
Teaching children about the winter solstice doesn’t require a deep background in astronomy or spirituality.
What it does require is curiosity, intention and a willingness to explore and learn with your child.
After all, most of us weren't raised with an understanding of the seasonal rhythms, so we're learning too.
By combining science, culture, nature and reflection, you can help young learners connect with the world around them and find joy even in the darkest days.
The Winter Solstice is a reminder of light returning after darkness which is alwasy going to be an uplifting lesson that children will carry with them through life.
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