Happy May! Depending on how much warmth Spring brings the land and territory, May is known as the Budding Moon, Planting moon, and even Moon of the Camas Harvest!
In Anishinaabe culture, the fifth moon of Creation is Waawaasknoe Giizis, (Flower Moon,) where all plants display their Spirit sides for all the world to see. This life-giving energy is one of the most powerful healing medicines on Mother Earth.
May brings special calendar days such as Mother’s Day, MMIW (red dress day https://www.jaimeblackartist.com/exhibitions and Bear Witness Day! The long weekend is perfect timing to send home a Spring cultural teaching kit or special activity.
Program Planning:
Warmer weather makes May the perfect time to explore the outdoors and to use nature as your classroom. Math, Science, quality time with Elders, art projects, harvesting, snacks and lunch can all be done in the beautiful May weather. Have sun hats ready for warmer days to pick and harvest flowers and plants; have muddy buddies and rubber boots ready for fun splashing in the puddles and making mud pies on rainier days.
Invite extended family members, Elders and community members to spend time in the children’s outdoor area planting items for the centre’s harvesting and medicine gardens, having fun and healthy picnic meals together. May is also the time to take the children and Elders out on the land to harvest items such as cotton wood buds, seaweed, nettles, yarrow, wild strawberries, red currants, birch bark, rat root spruce gum. If you have porcupines in your area, keep an eye for quills to gather. May is also a perfect time to go bird watching as birds are busy in their nests laying eggs. Sustainable-Indigenous-Gardening-Guide.pdf (efcl.org)
Outdoor Ideas:
Gift the gift of experiencing the stages of growth in a garden. Include children as an active part of planting in your outdoor space so children can have hands-on experiences planting a seed, witnessing its lifecycle. Early items that were planted in April such as chives, sprouts, cabbages, radishes, kale, rhubarb, cilantro and some herbs will be ready for the children to pick. They can use these to help make smoothies, and garden salads. Children and families can learn how to prepare and can items such as dandelion jelly and rhubarb jam this month. Garden Science For Children – Gardening Themed Science Activities (gardeningknowhow.com)
Indigenous Garden Plant Guide Full PDF (okanagan.bc.ca)
May is also for baking in the mud kitchen! Add items such as ice cream scoops, loaf pans, cupcake pans, spatulas, wooden spoons and measuring cups to the outdoors for fun baking with mud. Little ones at Eagles Nest AHS in Clearwater B.C. enjoy being immersed in sensory play in their mud kitchen that was bought as part of their ELBEL.
Craft/Sensory:
Along with making gifts for Mothers, Aunties and Grandmas, children can also help make the décor for a Mother’s Day/ Grandma’s tea. Simple beading projects with large beads for little hands to maneuver are a great way to introduce a traditional art activity. Children can paint clay pots and plant strawberries or plant early flowers like Johnny-jump-up violets, the fun of snapdragons, pansies and other early bloomers as a gift. Add a spring themed sensory tray as a play option to your table top activities.
Make a duck pond play dough tray to you add to your art centre. This can be made out of a plastic fruit and veggie tray from the dollar store if you do not have one.
Duck Pond Play Doh Activity – Pre-K Pages
Art Centre:
Add red and pink tissue paper, cardstock, cellophane and other new materials. Post photos in the art area of spring items such as butterflies, flowers that bloom in May such as tulips, toadstools and other spring plants and child appropriate red dress photos and pictures. Have families donate magazines, newspapers and other materials for children to practice cutting and making their own abstract art out of. Gardening magazines especially are a great inspiration this time of year!
Try Métis-Style Beadwork (Without the Beads) | Activities | Learn | Canadian Museum of History (historymuseum.ca)
Playful Additions:
Science:
Visit a farm or a bird sanctuary so the children can see eggs hatching! Post pictures of hatching eggs in the classroom and have eggshells, different types of eggs for the children to examine under a microscope!
Building Block/Construction Area:
Add Pond animals, foam lily pads, green and blue rocks. Attach a fish net to the floor have children build in it around it, on top. Post photos using traditional fishing methods ie.. lobster traps, gaffing in rivers, setting net, using dip nets, fishing lager items with harpoons, using weirs and fish wheels.
https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/aboriginal_fisheries_in_british_columbia/
Dramatic Play Area:
Add grandma and grandpa puppets, clothes, hats, plastic teapot and teacups or you can get the metal tea pots you would make tea within the bush and enamel cups (Make sure metal serving ware is lead-free)
Lofty Ideas:
Decorate under your loft to resemble a pond. Blue mats, paper, material can be used to make your pond. Add rubber ducks, frogs, tadpoles, fish, beavers, plastic lilies, dragon flies, or make bulrushes out of cardboard. Add logs so children can make beaver dams. Have fishing rods, tackle boxes, plastic worms, bugs, tackle, fishing hats, vests on the top part of the loft so children can pretend to fish. You can also make your own stick rods with clothes pins so children can “catch” fish and other items. Traditional fishing tools can be made such as gaffing poles.
Reading Area:
Post a literacy display this month in the reading area at the children’s eye level. Ideas could be Indigenous Family literacy posters, A display featuring the children’s favourite Indigenous Story, Stories that families have shared, Displays that feature resources from Moe the Mouse, and Word weavers.
Have a variety of books and nature guides with pictures of nature in the Spring from different geographical areas!
Have pictures of birds, plants/ trees insects in traditional language posted in this area:
Indigenous Plant Guide – hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓
Circle Time:
This month we celebrate Spirit Bear and the accomplishments the First Nations Caring Society has made to improve the lives of Indigenous children in Canada! They have created a special program for educators to use to teach children about reconciliation. AHSABC gifts each program a bear upon opening and Spirit Bear series to encourage the participation in these important activities. To support Bear Witness Day and awareness to reconciliation sign your site up to have an Ambearrister. For more instructions, please check this link: Reconciliation Ambearristers | First Nations Child & Family Caring Society (fncaringsociety.com)
Elder Involvement:
Host a Kohkoms/ Etzu / CHI CHI (grandmas) tea party! Invite aunties, grandmas, moms. Have the children make decorations and have special food items, photo opportunity.
Invite Elders to lead on the land gathering activities, nature walks, beach walks. Plant a heart garden with elders, parents and children on behalf of those who attended residential school: Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams | First Nations Child & Family Caring Society (fncaringsociety.com) . Invite Elders to community events such as MMIW2S walks.
Parent Board:
Have families send in a picture of mom, grandma, auntie, big sister– a special female in the child’s life and make a board that honours them. Post the words in your Indigenous language for each type of special female figure. Following your communities’ unique protocols you can also include Matriarchal figures from your nation(s) such as community/ long house/ big house/ clan leaders, Elders, and hereditary chiefs.
Post a display board featuring photos of family members attending programming, special events and activities.
Family Involvement:
Host a family event to celebrate Bear Witness Day!
Innovative Idea: Hohuduleh Bayoh Head Start in Vanderhoof BC had each child decorate bear cookies in honour of Bear Witness Day!
May 10 is Spirit Bear’s Birthday an important date in the history of Jordan’s Principle at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Celebrate with a family tea party and bring awareness and advocacy to this special day! For full history and programming ideas, easy recipes to incorporate please see link: Bear Witness Day | First Nations Child & Family Caring Society (fncaringsociety.com)Create an easy online or in person workshop for moms, grandmas, aunties to make a special craft item. This could be red dress earrings, quill earrings, strawberry shaped earrings or a strawberry embroidery project, woven heart or basket.
Outreach Kit Activities:
Create a picnic themed kit for the long weekend to share with each family: Picnic basket, weaving project that can be done outdoors, outdoor blanket and items such as canned salmon and dried nuts and berries, pemmican and other items that can be enjoyed in a family picnic! Include words in Indigenous language for items they will see out on the land while having a picnic. A traditional game can also be included for family fun such as a dice or card game.
https://www.metismuseum.ca/media/db/00724
Resources and Articles to Support a Staff Meeting:
- https://guides.library.ubc.ca/ld.php?content_id=36264999
- https://www.nccih.ca/1673/Publication.nccih?pillar=1&Collectionid=5https://www.ahs
- https://www.ahsabc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PPs-Jan-10-2024.pdf
- https://www.ecebc.ca/professional-development/best-choices-ethical-journey
- https://www.ecebc.ca/professional-development/lot-program
Health Promotion:
Plan an outdoor activity such as berry picking or harvesting! This shows children and families the value of physical activity out on the land and using the harvested items to create healthy foods with Indigenous Ingredients. Invite Elders to share holistic health practices as you journey out onto the land together.
Depending on the location if berries are not available yet use last years harvested canned or frozen berries.
Make a refreshing Indigenous Berry drink to serve at your next tea party, family gathering or event! Mee-Ni-Sha means “berries” in the Omushkegowin language. Mee-Ni-Sha play a very important role in Indigenous culture, food and health.
Have the children pick their own berries to make this special drink. Send home a list of places to pick this berry, for a healthy activity and recipe families can do together!
Make fresh berry muffins showing the children the steps it takes from gathering to collecting ingredients then helping as a group to make delicious items to enjoy. Have the children also gift these items to Elders and families. If frozen or canned berries are used show the children, the pictures from the previous year’s berry harvest and share the steps taken. Involve children who participated to share what they remember.
Recipe for Miskawotomina Muffins
Health Resource Link of the Month:
At AHS educators promote and continuously update families on Health resources available in community.
https://www.fnha.ca/wellness/community-wellness/good-medicine
