The summer solstice is just around the corner. As an annual event, its date can vary between 20th to 22nd June. It’s the perfect time to go camping and spend quality time together with your family or friends to enjoy the longest day of the year.
To help you make the most of summer solstice we’ve put together this camping activity guide so you can get involved in an event that has been celebrated for centuries.
What is Summer Solstice?
Solstice comes from the Latin words sol meaning “the sun” and sistere meaning “to make stand”. However, the word solstice is used to describe when the sun is at its most northern point giving around 17 hours of sunlight.
If you want to know more about how summer solstice takes place then check out the following short video.
Simple Ways to celebrate Summer Solstice
Whether you’re looking for a lively or relaxing time it’s important to do things you’ll enjoy. Let’s take a look at the different camping activities you can do to celebrate the summer solstice.
Go to a festival
Are you a lover of live music? Then you’re in luck. One of the sites on our free Campsite Finder is Stonehenge Campsite and Glamping Pods which hosts its own Solstice Festival. It’s an event that has become more popular over time and has been running for a number of years hosting great live music. There are also food and drink facilities available if you become hungry or fancy some real ale.
Get creative
Remember the last time you did some craftwork? Don’t worry if it’s been a while, the summer solstice is a good time to get all creative again. Bring along some coloured cardboard, paper plates, glue, scissors and water-based paints for the children so they can get creative and make sun crafts. These can make for nice keep safes to look back on. You can also get into the traditional summer solstice spirit by making flower crowns. Look out for wildflowers like oxeye daisies, red clover and bluebells to use to add lots of colour.
Plant seeds
Planting sunflower seeds during summer solstice can be a nice way of celebrating how important the sun is for growth. It’s a simple activity that you can get the children involved with so they can learn something new. All you’ll need is a pack of sunflower seeds, a couple of plant pots, one small bag of soil and a hand trowel. Once summer solstice is over, take the pots home and leave them on the window sill to get lots of sunlight. Remember to water the pots on a regular basis and then enjoy watching the sunflowers flourish.
Reading
You don’t have to be active to get into the spirit of the summer solstice. There are some great books you can read that are based around this time of year. If you fancy a bit of comedy try A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. For children, there is a fun science-based picture book called The Longest Day: Celebrating the Summer Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer. It’s a good way for you to relax and unwind whilst making the most of the natural light.
Photography
If you’re planning on camping in around Wiltshire and taking photos is your passion, then a trip to Stonehenge to celebrate summer solstice is a must. It’s the perfect time to visit and take some shots of the historic site when the sun is setting or rising. The photos you take can be great to look back on and can be used to hang up on your wall at home.
Picnic
Having a picnic is a good way to mark the start of summer. It’s a cheap and easy means of getting together with family and friends. Not forgetting that you’ll also be able to enjoy the fresh outdoor breeze and scenery around you. If you live a busy lifestyle this can be the ideal time to slow down.
Do you go camping for the summer solstice? Do you have any activities you could recommend? Share your comments on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
