🌞 Solstice Nature Walk & Sun Print Workshop at Castelnau Rec, Barnes

A Family Celebration of Light, Slowness & the Natural World

🗓️ Date: Saturday 21st June 2025

📍 Location: Castelnau Recreation Playground. Barnes Avenue, Barnes, London, SW13 9AA

🕒 Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 All ages welcome | 🎟️ Free Entry

🌿 Event Flow

🌳 1. Self-led Magical Nature Walk

• Families follow a gentle nature trail with a printed map or “Explorer Card”/ mini booklets
• Whisper prompts like:
  • “Find a tree that feels wise.”
  • “What shape does the sky make through the leaves?”
• Designed to slow us down and awaken our senses.

🔍 2. Treasure Hunt

• Collect natural treasures: leaves, flowers, feathers, bark, seedpods
• Encourage storytelling: “Why did this item call to you?”

🌞 3. Sun Print Station (Cyanotype Art)

• Use collected items to create solar prints on cyanotype paper
• Prints capture the imprint of nature using sunlight and water
• Guests take home their artwork as a Solstice memory

🐝 4. Seed Ball Making Station

• Children and families make earth-friendly seed balls using:
  • Clay, compost, and native wildflower seeds
• Simple recipe: 1 part seeds, 3 parts compost, 5 parts clay
• Participants are invited to toss them at home or plant in neglected spaces
• Great for rewilding urban patches and starting small conversations about biodiversity and pollinators

🐞 5. Bug Garden Discovery

• Explore a mini bug world with magnifiers and ID cards
• Learn about local insects and how to protect their habitats

🧺 6. Family Picnic & Rest Area

• Bring a blanket and your favorite snacks to enjoy a gentle picnic under the trees
• A designated quiet zone with rugs, cushions,
• Optional: sharing circle for families to swap solstice stories or poems
• A lovely way to rest, connect, and take in the beauty around us

🔆 7. Solstice Circle & Wish for the Season

• Gather in a gentle circle near the end of the event
• Families are invited to share a word, memory, or wish
• A “Wishing Box” with natural note paper where people can:
  • Write or draw a seasonal wish
  • Share how they’re feeling or what they’re leaving behind
• The box can be decorated and possibly planted later (if using biodegradable paper) as a symbolic act

♻️ 8. Litter Pick & Gratitude Circle

• Short clean-up and gratitude moment
• Reflect on how we’ve given back to the land as a community

🌱 Why It’s Magical:

• We honor the light and everything growing
• We slow down, reconnect, and co-create
• We give back through planting, storytelling, and care