When is the Winter Solstice 2026?

In the Northern Hemisphere the winter solstice falls on Monday, December 21, 2026. It is the shortest day and longest night of the year.

Why is the winter solstice the shortest day?

Earth is tilted. In December the Northern Hemisphere leans away from the sun, so the sun stays low in the sky and sets early. After the solstice the days slowly get longer again.

How can kids observe the winter solstice?

Record sunrise and sunset times on the daylight observation log for a week or two around the solstice and compare the length of each day. The poster and flap book explain what they find.

Monday, December 21, 2026

Winter Solstice Activities for Kids

Kindergarten to 5th Grade · 6 printables · Print-ready PDFs

Learn why the solstice is the shortest day of the year, then track the daylight yourself.

See the printables

Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher

Grade-alignedEvery printable is matched to the grades it fits, Kindergarten to 5th grade.
Print and goReady-to-print US Letter PDFs, with steps and supply lists on the craft pages. No prep needed.
6 Winter Solstice printables5 kinds of activities in one place, made by teachers for real classrooms.