May Day songs, crafts and activities

This time of year the traffic on my blog goes way up as people are searching for all things Maypole and May Day. So in an effort to give the masses what they want, I thought I'd post what I plan to do at our may day festivities this year. You're welcome, internets. (And sorry... I should have done this sooner. I have been a bit busy.)

First of all I'll pull the May Pole out of the closet, where it has sat since last year. I made it out of a broom handle by winding ribbon around the pole and securing with tape, then tying several long ribbons to the loop in the top. I jerry-rigged a stand by putting the pole in a cup full of rocks inside a bucket full of rocks. Then I tossed some flowers on top of the rocks to make it look pretty. Admittedly, after a few times around the pole it came loose and got a little wobbly. I will try to come up with a better system this year.
Last year the girls loved just going around the pole. They did it over and over and over. If they seem in the mood maybe this year I'll have them sing:

Ring around the Maypole
with flowers from the fairies we stole
Ribbons, Ribbons
We wind around!

You can find more songs here.


It is said that fairies are a bit easier to find on May Day, and so this year I plan to do more fairy crafts. Like these flower friends and petal fairies I found at Family Fun. Maybe we'll even make a fairy house.


Since our guests may not still have their floral crowns from last year I think I'll make floral headbands by hot gluing felt flowers on plastic headbands

I think we'll make some cool flowers out of soda bottles. See a photo tutorial here.

We may color some coloring sheets that I found here, here, and here.





If I have enough empty glass bottles around I may decorate with these May "Baskets." Find more may basket ideas at The Crafty Crow




If that's not enough ideas for you, you can check out last year's May Day party plan and learn why I call myself Painted Maypole, and thus have adopted May Day as my blog's official holiday.

With all this May Day hullabaloo, I have to confess that on the actual day I will not be dancing around the Maypole, but rather I'll be dancing around jazz fest. We'll celebrate over the weekend, and I hope to have some pictures to post then.

Happy May Day!

Blogger seeking designer

Me: A blogger with a boring standard blogger template You: A blog designer who can read my mind and change my life (or at least my blog). Us: Let's color the world together.


This has been a Monday Mission, a post written in the style of a want ad. Write your own Monday Mission and post a link to your post in the widget below:

(If the widget doesn't appear - leave a note in the comment and I'll add links in)

- I'm being held hostage is looking for some help

-Melissa at Taking what is Left has her own time sensitive search

-Mary Beth at Cats...books...life is good has a sports themed want ad

-Helen could truly use some online help



Next week's mission, to write a post in the style of a house listing. And thanks to those who have given me ideas for future Monday Missions. Keep those ideas coming.

*******

And look! My want ad has been answered (OK, OK, you caught me. I had been working on this already....) Don't you just LOVE my new blog design? I am SO excited about it. It makes me feel happy and all spring-like. I was going to wait to unveil it until May Day, but I'm too excited. So instead, think of it as an invitation to come back here and celebrate May Day with me. What will we be doing? Well, besides dancing around the maypole, I'm not entirely sure, but I think there may be a giveaway involved. Hmmm... So come back May 1st and check it out.

In the meantime, check out Ashley at The Cutest Blog on the Block, who did this stunning design. She has lots of free templates on her blog, or you can have her custom do one for you. She's a miracle worker. She took this rough crayon drawing of mine...

(please ignore the train coloring sheet that was on the back of the paper and showed through when I scanned it...)

...and turned it into this template. Genius. So what are you waiting for? Go spruce up your own blog. It's blogher ad revenue well spent.

Oh wait. Leave me a comment about how much you love it first, THEN go check her out. :)