I love the stillness and quiet of winter. The cold and the dark? Not quite as much! But one thing I do love is celebrating the return of the light with a simple Winter Solstice sun craft to make with children.
Throughout the world, many cultures celebrate winter holidays and festivals that involve bringing in the light. I love the tradition of lighting candles to remind us that even in the darkest days, there’s a spark of light within each of us. And that’s something worth celebrating with our families!
Celebrating the Winter Solstice
Solstice literally means “sun standing still.” Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice falls around December 21 or 22, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year. From that point on, the days gradually begin to grow longer.
Paying attention to the solstices and equinoxes helps us connect with the rhythms of nature and feel part of something bigger than ourselves. And celebrating the changing seasons with our children can inspire awe and wonder in us all.
Winter Solstice sometimes gets overlooked in the busyness of the holiday season. But I like to think of it as an invitation to pause, reflect, and remember that the light is returning.
There are so many simple ways to celebrate, from singing songs and sharing stories to making sun crafts or creating a Solstice Spiral. I have a post on how to create a solstic spiral here if you want to check it out.
Make a Simple Winter Solstice Sun Craft
This folded paper sun is one of my favorite crafts to make at this time of year. It’s simple enough to enjoy with children and beautiful enough to display throughout the winter months.
Hang your finished sun in a window where it can catch the light, or make several to use as ornaments or seasonal decorations.
And while it’s especially meaningful at Winter Solstice, you can make this cheerful sun craft for Summer Solstice, too!
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How to Make a Folded Paper Sun
Supplies You’ll Need
- 4 squares of paper, all the same size
- Glue stick
- Ribbon, yarn, or embroidery floss for hanging
I used these kite paper squares, which are beautifully translucent and let the light shine through.
You can also use yellow tissue paper, construction paper, or even gold crown paper. Just keep in mind that thinner paper tears more easily, and thicker paper can be a little harder to fold.
Step 1: Make Accordion Folds
Start with one square of paper and fold it back and forth, accordion-style, until the entire square becomes one long, folded strip.
If you know me, you know I’m not too particular about exact measurements! But if you prefer precision, aim for folds about ¼ inch wide. You can even measure your paper first to make sure the folds come out evenly.
Step 2: Repeat and Fold in Half
Repeat the accordion folds with the remaining three squares of paper.
Then fold each of your four accordion strips in half, bringing the two ends together to create a fan shape.
Step 3: Add a Hanging Loop
Cut a length of ribbon, yarn, or embroidery floss to hang your finished sun.
Place the ends of the ribbon between the two inner edges of one folded fan. Glue those edges together, securing the ribbon inside.
Step 4: Glue the Fans Together
Glue the inner edges of each remaining folded fan together.
Then join all four fans, gluing their outer edges to one another to form a complete circle.
The folds will meet in the center and spread outward like rays of sunshine!
Step 5: Hang Your Sun and Enjoy!
Hang your beautiful paper sun in a window where the light can shine through, or use it as a seasonal decoration.
What a lovely way to celebrate the returning light at Winter Solstice!
More Sun Crafts and Seasonal Inspiration
For more beautiful sun crafts and seasonal activities, I recommend the book All Year Round by Ann Druitt, Christine Fynes-Clinton, and Marije Rowling.
It’s a wonderful resource for celebrating the changing seasons with children.
A Verse for Winter Solstice
One lovely way to finish your sun craft is by sharing a verse or singing a song together.
May the Longtime Sun
May the longtime sun
Shine upon you.
All love surround you.
And the pure light
Within you
Guide your way on.
Happy Solstice!
However you celebrate, I hope you’ll take a moment to pause, notice the changing season, and welcome the returning light.
Even on the darkest day, the light is on its way back.
Hi Jean,
I actually like the cold and darkness of winter but look forward to the increasing light coming with the Winter Solstice. And I love your shining sun craft! Thanks for this wonderful post and the opportunity to enter your drawing. What a great giveaway! Much aloha, Lori
The increasing light is so beautiful, so incremental it’s barely noticeable but it surely adds up. Kind of like parenting! Thanks, Lori.
Lovely and inspiring! Thank you Jean!
Siobhan
Thank you, Siobhan! Hope you’re staying warm and cozy.
Love this Jean!
Thanks Sheila!
Thank you for the lovely post and giveaway. I love the simplicity and beauty of the folding sun. It is a craft we can make with the supplies we have on hand and can be done by all of our children from big to little. We would love to win Celebrating the Seasons: Winter!
Yes, a good craft for all ages. I love this folded sun’s simple elegance. Thanks, Kristin, glad your’re here!
What a lovely post! I am finally starting to honor Winter for what it is .an inward journey and have stopped dreading it. I do not love the long dark days but appreciate the time to slow down and reflect . It feels like a great way to prepare for Spring. I always look forward to receiving your newsletters . They are so full of great ideas and thoughts to ponder. Keep warm!
Thanks so much, Julie. And glad to see you here! The grey days sometimes get to me, but I too have come to appreciate the time for inner reflection. Do you know Clarissa Pinkola Estes? This is one of her reflections:
New seed
Is faithful.
It roots deepest
In the places
that are
most empty.
Such a wonderful craft and giveaway! I like this time of year when it gets darker and is a bit colder, but I also like knowing that after the 22nd the light will be coming back more and more each day! I look forward to the Summer Solstice because it is also my birthday :]
What a great time for a birthday! What gets me through this time of year is knowing and noticing the return of the light, little by little. Waldorf really brought me that sensitivity, teaching me to pay attention to nature and simple beauty.
I like the winter. It feels good and refreshing to walk in the cold. Wonderful giveaway! I am a subscriber to your blog. Thank you.
Thanks, Janet! I too like a refreshing walk in the cold. I just got home from the Nature Center and a walk with a friend; sometimes it takes meeting up with someone to get me to out there!
This is an amazing resource!
Thanks so much!
yesterday we bought some bulbs…tomorrow we’ll plant them while it snows.
nope, i’m not giving up hope just yet : )
embracing the season, especially through crafts and music (and eating too!), helps get me through these dark days. here’s what I’ve been singing lately (taught to me by a friend):
Where are you hiding?
How are you moving
As you cross the land?
Open our hearts up to the forest
And we’ll understand.
Oooooo, I can feel it coming.
Light the lights!
As we head into the time of the darkest night.
thank you for offering such a lovely giveaway.
enjoy the season!
Love the bulb planting – embracing the season in as many ways as we can! Thanks for sharing the words to this song; I’ve been singing a lot lately myself…helps get me through these dark days for sure. Community does too. And I’m so appreciating the technology to create a community here on this site! Thanks for sharing.
Congrats, Heather! You won the Giveaway!!! Check your email for the eBook and enjoy the season.
Great blog! So often the solstice gets overlooked at this time of year.
Thanks, Kerry!
Thanks, Andrea! xoxo
Beautiful post Jean! I love honoring the Solstices as well. I agree, I think even in the midst of a busy holiday season it’s lovely to take a pause on the Winter Solstice. We keep it simple and do our entire evening by candlelight (and the Christmas tree lights) and we go out for a night time walk after dinner. My little girls still remember from last year and are looking forward to it! This year I also want to talk with them about how we can “shine our light” in the coming year. Blessings to you!
Love that walk after dark…and returning to the house with just candlelight. Do you know the song “This Little Light of Mine”? And the song that’s sometimes sung at lantern festivals, “Down with Darkness”? Beautiful messages there. Thanks Kelly and blessings to you and yours!
I am a kindred spirit…I enjoy the special hushed silence of winter, not the cold – but the fun of seeing my little son play in the fluffy white snow, and a good book with coffee by a warm fire.
Ah, yes, little ones bundled up for playing in the snow! And a good book by the fire with warm mugs for all. See my book post here. Thanks for sharing, kindred spirit!
Very inspiring – thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Anna. And Happy Solstice!
We celebrate the Solstice with extra enthusiasm as it is also my husband’s birthday. Love your ideas and hope to implement them. Happy holidays!
Hope you had a great Solstice & birthday celebration!
So here I am . . . two years later . . . LOL
I needed a verse for Jude’s cub scouts “faith service” and I knew right where to come!
(Incidentally, I googled “winter solstice verse” and your blog came up first or second.)
LOVE THAT! And, this was part of the Blog Hop that you organized! I love being on these journeys together. Thank you!