Secret Garden Magic: Why Spring Equinox is the Perfect Time to Plant Dreams with Your Kids
Last day of term. Backpacks dumped by the door. Two weeks of possibility stretching ahead.
And something else is happening, too. Something most of us miss in the rush of school holiday planning and grocery lists and figuring out what on earth we're going to do with energetic kids for the next fortnight.
In just four days, on September 23rd, we'll experience the Spring Equinox.
The exact moment when our hemisphere tips from winter's grip toward summer's embrace. When darkness and light balance perfectly on nature's scales, before the days begin to stretch longer and warmer.
It's a moment worth celebrating, especially with children.
What Makes This Moment So Special?
The Spring Equinox happens when the sun sits directly above the equator, creating what ancient cultures called "equal night." A rare balance where day and night each claim exactly twelve hours.
Here in our corner of Australia, we experience this cosmic shift as the turning point from shorter days to longer ones. Though our atmosphere bends sunlight just enough that we actually see about twelve hours and eight minutes of daylight, there's still something magical about this astronomical moment when the world holds its breath between seasons.
For children, it's not about the science (though that's fascinating too). It's about feeling connected to something bigger than themselves. Something ancient and reliable and wonderfully cyclical.
Why Your Child's Muddy Hands Might Just Save the World
There's a reason why marking seasonal moments with children feels so important, even when we can't quite put our finger on why.
As Richard Louv writes: "Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature."
When children touch earth, plant seeds, and watch things grow, they're not just learning about plants. They're developing empathy for the living world. They're building the kind of deep, sensory connection that creates tomorrow's earth-protectors.
You can't love what you don't know. And you can't protect what you don't love.
This is how we raise the next generation of environmental stewards—not through lectures, but through letting them fall in love with the natural world, one muddy handful at a time.
The Ancient Art of Seed Bombing (Perfect for School Holiday Adventures)
Want to celebrate Spring Equinox with an activity that's part science experiment, part secret mission, and completely irresistible to children?
Let's make seed bombs.
These little balls of potential are exactly what they sound like. Biodegradable "bombs" packed with seeds, ready to explode into life wherever they land. Children love the slightly rebellious feel of "bombing" their world with wildflowers and herbs.
What You'll Need:
1 cup fine compost (sieved if lumpy, or use quality potting mix)
1 cup natural clay powder (available at craft stores. Red clay works beautifully)
1 tablespoon mixed seeds (try sunflowers, cosmos, dill, or rocket. Small seeds work best)
Water
A big bowl you don't mind getting earthy
The Magic-Making Process:
Find a space where mess is welcome. This is definitely an outdoor or patio table covered in newspaper kind of activity.
Mix your compost, clay, and seeds in the bowl. Let small hands do the mixing—this is their moment to get beautifully dirty.
Add water slowly, just enough to make the mixture hold together like natural playdough. Too wet? Add more compost and clay. Too dry? Sprinkle more water.
Now comes the satisfying part: rolling the mixture into small balls about the size of a large marble. Place them on newspaper-lined trays.
Let them dry for a day or two until they're solid enough to handle but will still break apart when wet.
The Secret Mission:
Once dry, your seed bombs are ready for their covert operation. Pop them in pockets or baskets and head out for a family "bombing" expedition.
The best time? Just before rain is forecast. Throw them in garden beds, or anywhere you'd love to see surprise wildflowers bloom. After the next good rain, keep watch. Within a week or two, you might spot tiny green shoots emerging from your secret garden spots.
This Spring, Let Them Get Gloriously Dirty
As school holidays begin and Spring Equinox arrives, there's something powerful about slowing down enough to notice the season's shift. About getting our hands dirty alongside our children. About planting seeds (literal and metaphorical) that will grow long after the holidays end.
Whether you're mixing clay and compost in your backyard or exploring what grows wild in your local forests, you're offering your child something screens can't provide: a sensory, seasonal connection to the living world around them.
🌿 Ready to dive deeper into nature-based adventures these school holidays?
If you're in Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast and want to give your kids the gift of muddy hands, forest exploration, and connection to the changing seasons, join us for Wildlings Forest School Holiday Programs.
We'll be celebrating spring in all its messy, magical glory. Building fires, crafting with natural materials, and yes, maybe even making some seed bombs of our own.
[Book your nature adventure here: www.wildlingsforestschool.com/bookings]
Because the best school holiday memories are often the muddiest ones.
