Summer Solstice Craft: Mr. Sun Handprint

Did you know that June 21^st is the date of this year’s Summer Solstice? This is a fun time for celebrating the sun and all it does for us, as well as note the changes it is always experiencing! Cultures all over the world have respected the sun for hundreds of years, and now you and your family can get in on the action of the Summer Solstice too! This craft comes at the perfect time, as the Summer Solstice is also the longest day of the year.

This year, gather the kiddos and a few inexpensive supplies and make your own handprint suns. All you need is a few dollar store materials, and kids will love learning about the sun as they get nice and messy! Creating these handprint suns is the perfect chance to have the perfect Summer Solstice decoration you can display in your own home, plus it gives you the chance to learn more about the sun and Summer Solstice as a family.

Head to your local dollar store and grab a few supplies so you too can make these adorable handprint suns. You will be able to save them and display them for years to come and notice that the handprints, like the sun, continue to change in time.

Summer Solstice Craft: Handprint Mr.Sun

Supplies Needed:
Large paper plates, white.
Yellow finger paint
Paintbrushes
Marker
Scissors
White construction paper
Glue

Note that I was able to buy all of these supplies at my local dollar store. Many were left over from previously completed crafts featured on The Cubicle Chick website!

Directions:
1. Apply paint your child’s hand with the paintbrush. They love this!
2. Press their hands onto the white construction paper. Try to fit 3-4 hands per piece of paper.
3. Allow the handprints to dry. In the meantime, begin coloring a face on the paper plate.
4. Once the handprints are dry, cut them out.
5. Take your glue and adhere the hands to the back of the plate. Allow to dry.
6. Add any finishing touches to your Mr.Sun face.
As you can see, the handprints create the “rays” on the sun giving them a personal touch! How cute is that?

To enrich this activity further, you can discuss some of these great Summer Solstice fun facts below!

Summer Solstice Facts:

1. Summer Solstice is often celebrated with bonfires.
2.Couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as the couples were able to jump.
3.Summer Solstice was thought to be a magical time when evil spirits would disappear.
4.People once called the Summer Solstice moon the “Honey Moon” for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at Summer Solstice
5. This year’s Summer Solstice is June 21^st.
6. Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, with the sun rising at its earliest and setting at its latest.

You can also talk to your kids about all of the reasons we need the sun. We tend to take it for granted and it is important to know how we depend on it for life. This is a great time to talk about these facts and answer any questions they may have.

This year, celebrate the Summer Solstice with this fun kid’s craft the whole family can have fun with!