Fun winter solstice bucket list activities for kids and adults to do on the winter solstice or for Yule winter solstice celebrations. Enjoy nature crafts and natural winter decorations, solstice bread and soup, fun winter bonfires in the snow and more for this winter holiday! Fun winter solstice traditions to start this year for holidays!
39 Best Winter Solstice Bucket List Activities To Celebrate Yule
Add any of these winter ideas to your winter solstice bucket list and solstice celebration ideas (or just for winter bucket lists!).
What should you do on the winter solstice?
- Light candles or an advent spiral (such a beautiful, calming solstice activity!) and live by candlelight or fire for the day.
- Read poems for winter solstice.
- Make and share a family meal / winter solstice feast, especially made with recipes passed down from ancestors.
- Decorate with natural decorations like pine needles, winter berries, and pine cones.
- Make sun bread or bake a winter and nut bread.
- Read books about winter solstice.
- Make a winter solstice soup.
- Share stories passed down from ancestors.
- Have everyone tell what they appreciate about nature.
- Dip beeswax candles and then use them for solstice ceremony ideas.
- Play outdoor solstice games.
- Bake solstice bread.
- Make winter solstice lanterns (see below) and use those instead of electricity lights for the day.
- Have a solstice bonfire or burn a Yule log in the fireplace and enjoy homemade hot chocolate.
- Take a nature hike.
- Make ice lanterns.
- Dry oranges for Yule. (Make pomander balls / dried orange pomanders – see craft directions below.)
- Pray for health in the new year.
- Exchange small handmade gifts.
- Make special warm drinks if you need winter solstice activities for adults.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF WINTER SOLSTICE BUCKET LIST IDEAS BELOW
Ideas To Celebrate Winter Solstice For A DIY Winter Bucket List With Kids
Decorate A Solstice Tree Outside
- Make a plain popcorn (no oils, butter or salts) and fresh cranberries garland or dried fruit edible ornaments for animals and hang them on a tree outside for winter.
- Make an easy DIY bird feeder ornament in order to support the birds during winter.
Make Natural Solstice Celebration Decorations And Winter Solstice Crafts
- Do winter solstice crafts, like make a nature garland for the mantel or to hang as solstice decorations.
- Make these fragrant clove and orange pomanders.
- Craft dried apple ornaments.
- Make dried oranges for dried orange ornaments. (Great to hand on your outdoor solstice tree, too!)
- Go on a nature hike for pine cones and then make these easy DIY pinecone ornaments for winter solstice decor.
- Pour beeswax ornaments for a Christmas tree or to give as DIY solstice gifts.
Create Special Solstice Lights
- Make these beautiful nature ice lanterns — one of my favorite holiday decorations we’ve ever made!
- Create these fun snow lanterns outdoors.
Make Solstice Soup (And Other Winter Solstice Foods and Winter Drinks)
Winter solstice is a great time to snuggle down with some winter comfort foods and warm drinks in front of a roaring fire or while enjoying a winter bonfire.
Try these for hearty winter solstice recipes:
- Sweet potato soup
- White chicken chili
- Turkey and wild rice soup
- Fresh baked bread with raclette recipe
- Green beans and potatoes
- Fresh baked pumpkin cornbread (this goes so well with soups and even the green beans and potatoes!)
- Make homemade hot chocolate
MORE NATURE FUN FOR HOLIDAYS: 15 Fun Nature Based New Year’s Eve Activities For Kids
About Winter Solstice
What happens during winter solstice?
Winter solstice, also called midwinter, occurs when the North Pole is at the maximum tilt away from the sun, which makes days shorter and temperatures colder.
Once the winter solstice occurs, days gradually start to get longer again and nights start to get shorter.
The winter solstice marks the longest and darkest day of the year and is also referred to as Dark Day.
After winter solstice, traditionally people start to celebrate return of light and return of the sun and may do their own winter solstice rituals.
While the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing winter solstice, there is no winter solstice in the southern hemisphere at the same time.
Instead, the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing summer solstice—the longest period of daylight in the year.
Winter solstice is often said to be the first day of winter or the beginning of winter, even if temperatures have already been cold and wintery.
However, winter solstice and the first day of winter may occur on different dates.
How long is the winter solstice?
You may be wondering how long is the shortest day of the year? The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is less than 12 hours of day time.
How much longer do days get after the winter solstice?
The days gradually start to get longer after winter solstice, all the way to summer solstice, or when the longest day of the year occurs after winter months.
Happy Winter Solstice and Merry Yule!
I hope you have fun with this winter solstice bucket list!
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