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Mabon Celebration Small Childrens Activity
Planner
Mabon is the Sabbat that celebrates the second
harvest. Along with the
grains, fruits and vegetables are harvested and stored
for the oncoming
winter, (or dark half of the year). This is a good
time for parents to start
planning inside activities for their small children.
BeanBag Dolls
Materials:
That one glove in the bottom of the closet or
drawer that lost its
mate over the summer. A small ball, some dried grain,
yarn, and a needle and
thread, and 2 buttons.
Tuck the ring finger up inside the palm of the
glove and stitch the
hole closed. Fill the glove up to the stretch cuff
with rice, beans,
popcorn, etc, and tie it off with a piece of yarn. For
the doll's head,
place a small ball (ping-pong) in the cuff and sew the
glove closed. For
hair, wrap the yarn around your hand several times,
tie the loops together
at one end with a strand of yarn, and cut the other
end. Stitch the tied end
to the top of the doll's head. Finish the doll by
stitching on some button
eyes. (Explain to children that although we all look
different on the
outside, we are all the same inside. Tell how the
God/dess made each of us
with love and care.)
Animal Brethren
Materials:
An apple, paring knife, lemon juice, whole
cloves, pencil, jar, glove,
felt scraps, glue.
Peel the apple and remove some of the core from
the bottom. (Parents)
To carve the animal's face, cut two holes for the
eyes, slice two triangle
flaps for the ears, cut a deep "X" for the nose and
mouth, and some shallow
slits for whiskers. Soak the apple in the lemon juice
for about 15 minutes,
then remove to a paper towel to dry. Insert cloves
into the eye holes. Push
the pencil into the bottom of the apple, and set it in
a jar to dry. To
hasten drying process, a food dehydrator works great!
As the apple dries,
lift the ears so they dry upright. When the head has
dried, use the glove
and felt scraps to make the body. Glue on markings and
paws. Cut off the
middle finger of the glove, and drop the pencil
through it, with the head
attached. Have the child grab the pencil with their 3
middle fingers, while
using the thumb and pinkie for the animal's forelegs.
( Discuss the habits
of different animals during the winter months. Explain
why we leave bird
food and other tidbits out for our winged and furry
brothers.)
Edible Autumn Leaves
Materials:
1 bag each of semisweet chocolate and white
chocolate morsels (chips),
broad leafed herbs such as mint, basil, celery, etc.
Select your sprigs of leaves in the produce
section of your grocery
store or from your garden. Wash leaves thoroughly and
pat dry. Melt
chocolate with 2 tsp. of butter, stirring until
smooth. Pour chocolate into
small bowls and give each child a clean small
paintbrush. Paint the
underside of the leaves with the chocolate and place
on a wax paper covered
cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Slowly pull real
leaves away from
chocolate leaves. (Explain to children how art is a
reflection of the true
beauty of Nature.)
Woodsy Flower Vase
Materials:
¼ inch diameter sticks, scissors, an empty
plastic (p-butter) jar, 2
thick rubber bands, ribbon, glue, and pinecones.
Break or snip sticks to about 1in. longer than
jar. Place rubber bands
around jar, 1in. from top and 1in. from bottom. Tuck
the sticks under the
rubber bands, placing them together as close as
possible. Once the jar is
surrounded by sticks, push the rubberbands to the
center of the jar and
cover with autumn colored ribbon. Ribbon can be tied
into a bow. Glue on a
few pinecones and fill the vase with flowers. (While
hiking and looking for
sticks, explain why fallen sticks are more Earth
friendly, but if live
branches are needed, to take only what is needed and
thank tree for gift.)
Harm None Paper Bouquets
Materials:
Autumn colored tissue paper, scissors, crayons,
and pipe cleaners.
For each flower cut eight 3-1/2 in.squares. With
side of crayon color
down 2 opposite sides on each square. Lay on flat
surface with colored sides
at top and bottom. Start folding from the top, like a
paper fan. Each pleat
should be approx 1/2in wide. For the stems, bend a
pipe cleaner 1-1/2in.
from one end to form a hook. Place the pleated squares
in a stack, and place
the stack in the hook. Twist the hook around the stem.
To open flower to
full bloom, twist the petals a half-turn near the
stem. (Thank children for
beautiful vase of flowers that can be used on your
alter for the Mabon
ritual, and later a table center piece.)
Begin Again Eggheads
Materials:
A couple of eggs per child, felt-tip markers or
crayons, grass seed or
bird seed, some soil, a nail, and some plastic wrap.
Have children draw funny faces on their eggs
with the markers or
crayons. Take the nail and make a hole at the top of
the egg, keep working
on hole until about the size of a quarter. Drain and
rinse inside of egg and
spoon some soil into it. Put in some grass/bird seed,
moisten soil, and wrap
in plastic wrap. Set in a sunny spot to sprout. Once
grass starts sprouting,
remove the wrap and water daily. (Explain to children
that although the egg
is no longer what it was originally, it has gone
through a death and a
rebirth as something else living and part of Nature.)
Animal Guide Totems
Materials:
A sheet of construction paper, plastic spoon,
small water-based paint
set, markers, paper towel tube, and glue.
Fold the sheet of paper in half, and have the
child drop spotsofpaint
along the fold. Fold the paper, lay it flat, and
gentely rub it. Re-open the
paper and have the child tell you all about the
animals, fish, and birds
that they see in the paint blots. When the paint
dries, help the child
outline these creatures with the markers. Cut out and
around the blot
characters and glue to the paper towel tube to make
the totem stand upright.
(Discuss the different AnimalGuides, and the qualities
we learn from them.)
Backyard Chant -- Mabon Prayer
Autumn colors of red and gold
As I close my eyes tonight
Such a wonder to behold
I feel the God/dess hold me tight
Watch leaves turning one by one
Though it grows dark, I shall not fear
Captured bits of Autumn Sun
For Divine Love protects all here
Soon they'll fall and blow away
Through the night, until the morn
The golden treasures of today
When the shining Sun's reborn
When the trees are bare
Time to sleep, time to dream
And the ground grows cold
Till warm gold rays upon me stream
These warm memories
I'll still hold.
---Akasha
--Adapted by Akasha Ap Emrys to share with all
of her friends and
those of like mind
Copyright © 1997-99 Akasha, Herne and The Celtic
Connection All rights
reserved.
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