First-Shool.ws Holidays
May Day Preschool Activities and Crafts

Many years ago, May 1st or May Day was a magical time to welcome spring. On the night before May Day, children danced in the moonlit woods.

They gathered spring flowers. They made crowns of daisies. Why not make a crown of daisies and celebrate May Day? You can celebrate it just as in the past! Read on and find out what would happen on May Day.

When the sun rose, the May day fun continued. Villagers met in the woods to choose the tree that would become the Maypole. The chosen tree was the tallest, slimmest tree that could be found in the forest. It was carried into the village. All the villagers paraded along with it.

The villagers chose a May Queen. The new Queen was crowned with fresh spring flowers. The villagers cheered and flung flower petals into the air. The crowd danced into the village square. The Maypole was painted and decorated with ribbons, flowers, and bright handkerchiefs. The strongest people pushed and pulled until the maypole stood straight. Now it was time to dance around the Maypole.

Make your own easy May Day pole that is not as heavy as a real tree. Be a Queen or King or put the names of the children in a basket and choose a Queen or King for the May Day celebrations.

Now put on your crown of daisies and the May pole is ready and set. Are you ready to sing the May Day song below? Great!

Dance Around the Maypole
In and out, in and out,
Weave the ribbons tight;
'Round the Maypole we will dance
To the left and to the right.

May Day Around the World:

Some countries still celebrate May Day. In France, May Day is a flower festival. Delicate white flowers called lilies of the valley are believed to bring good luck. In Denmark, sweethearts give each other bouquets of lilies of the valley. Holland celebrates May 1 with a tulip festival. On May 1 in Greece, the schools are closed. The students trek into the woods to gather flowers. In some other countries, May is a day of parades.

Back to the lesson plan.