Racial Proscriptions and African-American Dance Traditions
Beginning in the early 1940s, the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, under the directorship of pioneering dancer/choreographer Ted Shawn, assumed an invaluable role in the dance world by becoming a venue where artists—both well-established and emerging—could present their work, teach and choreograph for students, and generally revitalize themselves by spending time in a supportive environment. At a time when artists of color were still fighting to make inroads in areas that had stringent racial proscriptions, the Pillow extended a welcoming hand. During the decades surrounding these inclusive initiatives, black dancers and choreographers faced the same types of proscriptions as individuals in other fields of endeavor. Racial biases affected them in terms of the places where they were permitted to pursue professional training, the venues where they could perform, and the critical responses they received.
In this series of essays about black artists who performed at the Pillow, there are references to artists such as Janet Collins and Talley Beatty who attempted to find studios that would accept them as students during the early years of their training. The standard response to their inquiries was that the parents of white students would not tolerate integrated dance classes, and they would withdraw their children if a black student were enrolled. In other instances, we find that artists like Beatty, Katherine Dunham, and others were constantly searching for housing accommodations as they toured throughout the U.S., often turning to leaders in black communities to help them find lodging with local residents. Moreover—in an instance that had to do with the actual denial of an artist’s appearance on stage—Janet Collins was not allowed to tour with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet when the company traveled to the southern region of the United States. Examples such as these indicate that dance artists were engaged in struggles for equality that paralleled those that occurred in other areas of American life.
The conflation of race and class often determined which areas of the performing arts were accessible to black performers.Racial proscriptions in the arts also reflect a complex matrix of factors that has historically resulted in the exclusion of black people from certain aspects of the American experience. As discussed in other essays in this series, the conflation of race and class often determined which areas of the performing arts were accessible to black performers. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, for example, popular genres such as minstrel and vaudeville shows—“lower class” forms of entertainment—were acceptable for black performers to engage in. But, as the “high arts” continued to develop in America, during the 1920s and onward, African-Americans found it very difficult to be accepted as serious participants in arenas such as classical ballet and opera.
As an example of acceptable fields for blacks to engage in, minstrelsy is an especially interesting area. Its very essence was based on images of black people as comic, ignorant buffoons; and even though nineteenth- and twentieth-century minstrel companies were composed of both white performers (in blackface) and black performers (sometimes also in black face) the messages of racial inferiority were clear. As the most popular form of entertainment in America, the shows hammered home racist messages. One choreographer who created work for the Pillow—Joanna Haigood, who I will discuss in more detail later—used images of minstrelsy and popular-nineteenth century black performers in her 1998 work Invisible Wings.
In a related vein, cultural critic Henry Louis Gates, Jr. points to the period between 1890 and 1910 as a time when American households were filled with “heinous representations of black people, on children’s games, portable savings banks, trade cards, postcards, calendars, tea cosies, napkins, ashtrays, cooking and eating utensils—in short, just about anywhere and everywhere a middle- or working-class [white] person might peer in the course of a day.”Henry Louis Gates, Jr., in Black Male: Representations of Masculinity in Contemporary American Art, Thelma Golden, ed. (New York, NY: Whitney Museum of Art, 1991) p. 11-12. Here we can envision a continuum that stretches from racist ideology, to social and political practices, to material culture, to the performing arts; and we can, again, see the complexity of the situation.
During different periods, African-American artists dealt with oppressive environments in different ways. Elsewhere, I have written of how they negotiated racial proscriptions during the period that eventually became known as the Harlem Renaissance. Based on an idea called sociological positivism, the black intelligentsia of the period—roughly 1920 to 1930—believed that African Americans could improve their lot in American society by attaining recognition and success in artistic endeavors, because they belonged to a race that was innately gifted in those areas.John O. Perpener III, African-American Concert Dance: The Harlem Renaissance and Beyond (Chicago and Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2001) pp. 15-16. Though the idea of “natural” racial dispositions is one that has long been debunked, it was embraced during the 1920s as a reasonable way for African Americans to pursue racial parity in American society.
In one of this series’ essays I discuss Asadata Dafora—an African artist who moved to America in 1929—and his objective of presenting West African music, dance, and folklore in such a way that it would be appreciated as an important contribution to the world of art.
To achieve this, he presented his work in mainstream venues, before mostly white audiences, and within the purview of the New York critical establishment. Along the same lines, Katherine Dunham voiced her desire “to attain a status in the dance world that will give the Negro dance student the courage really to study, and a reason to do so. And take our dance out of the burlesque to make it a more dignified art.”Katherine Dunham, quoted in Frederick L. Orme, “Negro in the Dance as Katherine Dunham Sees Him,” American Dancer, March, 1938, p. 46. In spite of these early artists’ groundbreaking achievements and their own unerring confrontations of racial barriers, their expressions of racial uplift that centered on proving to others that black artists were worthy of acceptance eventually became anathema to the activists/artists of later generations.
By the 1960s, African-American artists were developing radically different approaches than those of their earlier counterparts. They were turning away from the accommodationist practices of their predecessors and seeking more militant solutions. Larry Neal, a poet, essayist, and primary ideologue of the Black Arts Movement, spoke of these new directions in the following:
. . . The Black Arts and Black Power concept both relate broadly to the Afro-American’s desire for self-determination and nationhood. Both concepts are nationalistic. One is concerned with the relationship between art and politics; the other with the art of politics.
Recently, the two movements have begun to merge: the political values inherent in the Black Power concept are now finding concrete expression in the aesthetics of Afro-American dramatists, poets, choreographers [my emphasis] musicians and novelists. A main tenet of Black Power is to define the world in their own terms. The black artist has made the same point in the context of aesthetics.Larry Neal, “The Black Arts Movement,” in The Black Aesthetic, Addison Gayle, Jr., ed. (Garden City, New York: Anchor Books, 1972) p. 257
During the Black Arts Movement—roughly 1960 to 1975—artists made it a point to turn their backs on America’s arts establishments. They began to form their own organizations, open their own cultural centers, and cultivate their own critics. In their efforts to assure that their art confronted racial oppression by embracing messages of self-definition, self-knowledge, and self-esteem, they literally took their art to the streets of inner-city communities. Initiatives such as the Jazzmobile and the Dancemobile in New York City transported artists to perform on street corners, and in empty lots and playgrounds. Local residents saw serious, non-commercial art that they would not have been able to see otherwise.
In this series of essays, in contrast to Asadata Dafora, Talley Beatty, and Janet Collins, a later generation of artists who appeared at the Pillow is represented by artists like Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, the founding director of the Urban Bush Women.
Zollar began her career during the 1970s, when the influences of the Black Arts Movement were being felt throughout the country. Giving all due respect to the work of artists who laid an aesthetic foundation for her to build on, she has brought social and political commentary to the foreground to an extent that earlier black artists never dared.
Though many things have changed since the 1930s and 1940s—both in artistic arenas and in the dynamics of race relations in America—there have been underlying sociopolitical problems that continue to affect black Americans. Younger artists have pointedly used their work to frame contemporary issues. Moreover, Zollar has widened this artistic purview by choosing subject matter that includes homelessness, violence against women, and environmental issues in works such as Shelter (1987) and Bitter Tongue (1987).
Because black artists have consistently performed at the Pillow for such a long period of time, it is possible to examine both the changes and the continuities that have occurred in their artistic practices. One can see, for example, how distinctive movement vocabularies have been passed from one generation to the next. An artist like Charles Moore, who visited the festival with his company in 1976 and 1978, used movement techniques and styles he had learned from the earliest black participant at the Pillow, Asadata Dafora.
As a child, Jawole Zollar studied with Joseph Stevenson, a former Dunham dancer, and she went on to create works that drew on her ever-expanding knowledge of African-diaspora dance. Her work has also been compared to that of Pearl Primus, with whom she never studied. And I would add that dance movement languages are not only passed from teacher to student, but they are also passed through acculturation processes, as individuals are exposed to vernacular dance in black communities, or to the gestural movements, kinetic patterns, and postures that become habituated through one’s daily comings and goings in a given environment.
Dance historian Jacqui Malone alludes to the underlying dynamics of the continuity between the dances of Africa and the dances of diaspora communities, when she states, “Recognition of the strong relationship between the dances of traditional African cultures and the dances of black Americans is now a commonplace among students and scholars of American history, music, and dance.”Jacqui Malone, Steppin’ on the Blues: The Visible Rhythms of African American Dance (Chicago and Urbana IL: University of Illinois Press, 1996), p. 24. She continues this idea by describing how “certain movement patterns, gestures, attitudes, and stylizations present in the body language of black Americans are assertive proof of African influences.”Ibid. And, finally, she cites music historian Albert Murray who said that African Americans “refine all movement in the direction of dance-beat elegance. Their work movements become dance movements and so do their play movements; and so, indeed, do all the movements they use every day, including the way they walk, turn, stand, wave, shake hands, reach, or make any gesture at all.”Ibid.
But, if we look again at the performances of black artists at Jacob’s Pillow over the years, we can also see aesthetic variations. As mentioned earlier, there is the evolving choice of subject matter that artists use in their works; and, there is also the ongoing exploration of new movement sources. These include the postmodern dance techniques that evolved in the 1960s and 1970s, the movement innovations of urban hip-hop during later decades, and borrowings from other movement traditions such as Japanese Butoh. The stories of the artists discussed in these essays, and their visits to America’s oldest dance festival, provide important insight into their attempts to secure a foothold in the larger arenas of American art and culture.
A Brief Look at Black Life in the Berkshires
African American Heritage in the Upper Housatonic Valley is a book that documents the African-American presence in the geographic area where Ted Shawn founded the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. It records the stories of some of the individuals who represented the earliest presence of black people in the area; it also tells the stories of African Americans who fought for their peoples’ freedom during a period that stretched from the anti-slavery activism of the eighteenth century to the civil rights initiatives of the twentieth century; and it recounts the stories of individuals who, during those same periods, made significant contributions as entrepreneurs, educators, religious leaders, and in a wide range of other fields.
The book highlights the lives of individuals such as William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, who was born in 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts (roughly 20 miles from the Pillow). In addition to being the preeminent civil rights leader of his time, he also served as a leader of the black intelligentsia that founded the artistic and cultural movement that became known as the Harlem Renaissance. As contributor Barbara Bartle describes it in African American Heritage in the Upper Housatonic Valley, “[T]he movement’s demise came quickly with the Great Depression. But while it lasted, it was an optimistic time, when many Harlemites thought that the race problem could be solved through art—‘civil rights through copyright’ was a popular slogan.”Barbara Bartle, “The Harlem Renaissance,” in African American Heritage in the Upper Housatonic Valley, David Levinson, ed. (Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing Group, 2006), p. 129.
Several other key individuals of the Harlem Renaissance were associated with Berkshire communities. Renowned African-American photographer James Van Der Zee was born in Lenox in 1886. Barbara Bartle also comments on his significance, “At his death it was said that he was a man who saw beauty in people and was willing to work hard to get his camera to see it. He recorded a time, place, and culture—Harlem during its renaissance—that we can recapture as vividly as any decade in our history.”Ibid., p. 132.
In the book’s chapter, “Entertainment and Social Life,” we learn that the ubiquitous minstrel show was part of popular entertainment in the upper Housatonic valley, just as it was in the rest of America, and racist performances of Uncle Tom’s Cabin also took place in area theaters.Ibid., p. 123. On the other hand, in 1926, one could see a production of the groundbreaking, all-black musical Shuffle Along, at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield.Ibid.Shuffle Along had opened to positive reviews on Broadway in 1921 with a stellar cast that included Florence Mills, Josephine Baker, Paul Robeson, and Adelaide Hall.
“Jacob’s Pillow,” an entry written by Norton Owen, Director of Preservation at the festival, provides an overview of some of the activities that African-American dancers and choreographers engaged in over seven decades. Owen quotes the Pillow’s founder, Ted Shawn, as a testament to the artist’s abiding interest in world dance:
The dance includes every way that men of all races in every period of the world’s history have moved rhythmically to express themselves.”
Shawn underscored his interest in this direction by presenting concerts that were remarkable for the diversity of their artists, including black artists from Africa, America, and the Caribbean. At the end of his essay, Owen also mentions a remarkable piece of dance theater that was not only an exceptional example of the contributions of black artists to the festival, but it also incorporated an aspect of local history that was rooted in the very ground that Jacob’s Pillow was built on.
The farmstead that Ted Shawn purchased in the 1930s as a summer home for his all-male dance company belonged to the Carter family. It has long been thought that members of that family were involved in the nineteenth-century anti-slavery movement known as the Underground Railroad, a series of routes dotted with safe-houses and other locations where escaping slaves could rest and be nourished as they traveled north toward freedom in Canada. Information about the actual locations of the stopovers is sketchy because of the secrecy surrounding every aspect of these journeys. As Barbara Bartle explains, “Often it has been difficult to document these sites because they may have been hidden rooms or chambers that have been altered, the houses may have been demolished, or sites may have consisted only of barns, caves, and secret passageways.”Ibid., p. 29.
However, she goes on to explain that researchers have recently located secondary sources indicating specific individuals in Berkshire County who were involved in the Underground Railroad, and among these she lists Stephen Carter who served as a stationmaster during the mid-nineteenth century.Ibid.
Invisible Wings: A Pillow Metaphor
In 1993, while working on another project at the Pillow, San Francisco dancer/choreographer Joanna Haigood began investigating the story of the locale’s place in the annals of African-American history. While in residence that summer, she had an experience that made her realize that the place somehow felt like a “safe haven,” and that inspired her to begin looking into the property’s history. The most striking fact she found that supported her intuitive feelings was that the Carter farm had served as a station on the Underground Railroad. That began the journey that led her to individuals like Charles Carter, the great-great-grandson of Stephen Carter.
After years of meticulous research, Haigood premiered Invisible Wings on August 25, 1998. Her extensive background in site-specific dance productions led her to use the grounds of Jacob’s Pillow as the stage on which the narrative of nineteenth-century journeys toward freedom unfolded. Her performance required that the audience travel with the performers to different sites that comprised the Carters’ old homestead, intensifying the verisimilitude of the different vignettes. She explained her use of the grounds in a talk preceding the work’s premiere:
There’s a lot of walking in this piece . . . . What I’m trying to do is bring the audience . . . to pull the audience back in time into the nineteenth century, around 1850, which was probably the active time of this station. And, to do that, it was important for me to find a way to disorient people who are obviously very familiar with this property. So . . . There is a disorientation section. . . . And, kind of a set up to give you a more sensate experience of what it might be like to be escaping; to go through the various levels of fear, of joy, of making it . . . by setting up an environment that supports some of the concepts . . . . that you have your own experience by walking through these environments.Norton Owen, Interview with Joanna Haigood, Identifier 1189, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, August 30, 1998.
The storyteller, performed by Diane Ferlatte, opened Invisible Wings with a powerful monologue that set the scene as the audience surrounded her. She recounted events that exist somewhere between truth and legend. That is, the stories have been passed down from generation to generation, by word of mouth, without the certainty of written documentation. There is a kernel of truth in them, but they have also been elaborated on, giving them a mythic patina. The first one she tells is of a slave who has escaped from his plantation, but his head is encased in a metal cage that is supported by a collar around his neck. Several bells are attached to the top of this diabolical contraption, so that his movement is always accompanied by their constant clanging. Because of the limitations of his movement and the noise that he makes, he can be more easily tracked by slave catchers.
Having set the horrific scene, the storyteller goes on to recount how a stranger finds the slave in the woods and tells him to stay where he is until he returns with a tool to free him from his entrapment. But, when the stranger returns the next day, he finds that the slave has hung himself from a tree in a fit of despair, and black birds swarm around his dangling corpse. In a final macabre irony, the birds are never able to feast on the corpse, because every time they disturb it, the clanging bells scare them away. The storyteller’s words cut through the darkening evening at Jacob’s Pillow like a stab to the heart of this darkly malevolent history.
Ferlatte continues with another unsettling story that reveals how the Underground Railroad came to have its name.
As the performance unfolds, the audience continues to move from place to place. They actually see the slave running through the woods with his head caged and witness depictions of other events that might have occurred as escapees moved northward toward freedom. One striking scene depicts how a slave-master, with the help of his black assistant wrenches a young girl from the desperate grip of her mother, so that the child can be sold to someone else. The vignette takes place high above the audience on a narrow platform that stretches the length of an old building’s roof. Haigood’s brilliant staging intensifies the effect of her work’s magical realism, the juxtaposition of all-too-real occurrences with implausible surroundings. (I think of paintings by Marc Chagall with peasants and cows flying above rooftops.) Such images create a fascinatingly ironic mix of painful truth and perplexing illusion.
In another scene, a slave is suspended upside down, like one of those barbaric crucifixions, and whipped by his mistress who is the personification of maddened power. But, there is also a kind of impressionistic minuet—between master, mistress, and slaves—in which the players trace their vexed relationships in the floor patterns and gestures they make. One is reminded of how another artist, José Limón, used this convention of figured dancing in The Moor’s Pavane (first performed at the Pillow in 1951) that delineated the relationship between Othello, Iago, Desdemona, and Emelia.
Other elements of Invisible Wings are used in such a way that they bring some welcome levity to the work. Of course, music and dance are chief among these elements. Haigood explained how she depended heavily on her music director, Linda Tillery, to gather the songs, percussive rhythms, and chants that accurately reflected African-American slave culture of the period. Their research included spending time among the Gullah people, descendants of slaves who have lived in isolation of the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia. Echoes of antebellum slave culture could still be heard in the music and speech patterns of these people. That region was also where Haigood’s family roots were, so she had personal ties to individuals who revealed fragments of cultural history. Her uncle, for example, demonstrated the “snake hips,” an undulating dance that can be thought of as part of the living history of African-American dances that are passed from one generation to the next, paralleling the oral tradition of storytelling. In the same vein, she studied the embodied knowledge of the buzzard lope, shuffling, patting and dancing juba, and the ring shout. These were elements of music and dance that often served as a kind of salve to soothe the painful wounds of slavery.
Part of the stunning humanity of Invisible Wings is its deft delineation of the darkest moments that human beings can encounter in juxtaposition with the joyous expression of enduring and surviving—perhaps even thriving. And, Haigood concludes her work with another note of magical realism by referencing a mythical story that provides the piece’s title. One of the stories passed down from antebellum slave culture was that there were individuals who had magical powers that enabled them to escape to freedom by flying away, back to Africa. Using her skills as an artist accomplished in aerial work—the use of equipment that enables performers to be suspended high in the air—she ended Invisible Wings with an incredible moment where her character, Mary, one of the escaped slaves, is suspended from a crane, high above the buildings and the woods where the preceding scenes have unfolded. This moment of breathtaking transcendence provided a powerful conclusion with a message of consummate hope.
For me—at the expense of forcing a point—Invisible Wings can be thought of as a metaphor for the participation of black artists at Jacob’s Pillow, because many of those artists’ journeys involved finding safe spaces where they could study, perform, teach, and thrive. This was especially true for those who came to the Pillow in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. As mentioned before, Beatty and Collins searched for places that would accept them as students. Dunham and others looked for places to house and feed their companies when they were touring the U.S. Well into the 1960s, even Ted Shawn ran into problems finding housing in the surrounding communities for some of his artists. Though these were not life and death situations or ones that might lead to bodily injuries, as was the case with travelers on the Underground Railroad, they were unsettling situations fraught with their own emotional and psychological trauma.
These dancers’ art was their palliative, and finding a place that supported the creation and presentation of their art provided additional solace. Joanna Haigood spoke of her initial feeling that the Pillow was a place of refuge; and she described how she set out to create a piece of dance theater that would, in a sense, help the land of the old Carter farm reveal its stories about the people who had tread it. Over the years, since the festival’s formal incorporation in 1942, black artists have also come to the Berkshires, walking—indeed, dancing—on the same land and adding their own stories.
PUBLISHED December 2017


“Fun and Educational: Top Kids Activities for Creative Learning”
As parents and caregivers, we all want our children to be happy and healthy. We want them to grow up to be confident, successful, and fulfilled adults. One way to help children achieve these goals is through engaging and enriching activities that promote learning, creativity, and exploration.
The purpose of this article is to provide parents and caregivers with a comprehensive guide to top kids activities that are not only fun and entertaining but also educational and beneficial for child development. From outdoor play to sensory exploration, from literacy to STEM education, and from cultural activities to cooking and baking, this book covers a wide range of topics and ideas that will inspire and engage both kids and adults.
Each chapter in this book focuses on a specific type of activity, providing detailed information on the benefits of each activity, the skills and concepts children can learn, and practical tips and ideas for implementation. Whether you are looking for ideas for a rainy day at home or planning a fun-filled day outdoors, this book has something for everyone.
The Importance of Play in Child Development
Play is an essential component of child development. Through play, children learn about themselves, others, and the world around them. Play helps children develop their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills, and it provides them with opportunities to explore, experiment, and create.
In this article, we will explore the different types of play and their benefits for child development. We will also discuss the role of adults in play and how to create a safe and stimulating play environment for children.
Benefits of Play
Play has numerous benefits for child development, including:
- Cognitive development: Play helps children develop their thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Social development: Play provides children with opportunities to interact with others, learn social skills, and develop friendships.
- Emotional development: Play helps children express their emotions, develop empathy, and regulate their emotions.
- Physical development: Play promotes physical activity, coordination, and gross and fine motor skills.
- Creativity and imagination: Play fosters imagination and creativity, allowing children to think outside the box and explore new ideas.
Types of Play
There are many different types of play, including:
- Sensory play: Activities that involve exploring with the senses, such as playing with sand, water, or playdough.
- Physical play: Activities that involve movement, such as running, jumping, climbing, and dancing.
- Pretend play: Activities that involve imagination and role-playing, such as playing house, dress-up, or make-believe games.
- Constructive play: Activities that involve building, creating, and designing, such as playing with blocks, Legos, or art materials.
- Games with rules: Activities that involve following rules and taking turns, such as board games, card games, or sports.
The Benefits of Sensory Play for Children’s Development
Sensory play is an essential part of children’s development, and it can be a fun way for them to learn new things. It involves stimulating the senses, including sight, touch, smell, and sound, to enhance their cognitive and physical development. In this article, we will explore different kids’ activities for sensory play and their benefits.
Play with Clay
Clay is an excellent medium for sensory play. Children can mold and shape it, stimulating their creativity and imagination. They can also feel the texture of the clay, which enhances their tactile skills. Playing with clay can also improve their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Finger painting is a fun and messy activity that children love. It allows them to explore different colors and textures, stimulating their visual and tactile senses. Finger painting also encourages creativity and imagination and helps to develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Sensory bins are containers filled with different materials that children can explore using their senses. For example, a sensory bin filled with rice or sand can provide children with a tactile experience, while a bin filled with scented materials can stimulate their sense of smell. Sensory bins can also improve their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and language development.
Water play is an excellent way for children to explore different textures and temperatures. They can splash, pour, and mix water, which stimulates their tactile, visual, and auditory senses. Water play also helps to improve their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and cognitive development.
Playdough is a fun and versatile material for sensory play. Children can mold and shape it, which enhances their creativity and imagination. Playdough also provides a tactile experience, which stimulates their senses. Playing with playdough can also improve their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and language development.
Sensory bottles are containers filled with different materials that children can shake, roll, and explore using their senses. For example, a sensory bottle filled with glitter and water can provide a visual and auditory experience, while a bottle filled with rice and small toys can provide a tactile experience. Sensory bottles can also help to calm and soothe children and improve their cognitive development.
Playing musical instruments is a fun and creative activity that children love. It stimulates their auditory senses and helps to improve their cognitive and emotional development. Children can explore different sounds and rhythms, which enhances their musical skills and creativity.
Play with Slime
Slime is a gooey and stretchy material that children love to play with. It provides a tactile experience, stimulating their sense of touch. Children can also explore different colors and textures, which enhances their creativity and imagination. Playing with slime can also improve their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and language development.
Exploring Nature: Outdoor Activities for Kids
In today’s digital age, it’s easy for children to spend most of their time indoors staring at screens. However, spending time outdoors and exploring nature can have numerous benefits for children’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development. In this chapter, we will explore the benefits of outdoor play and provide ideas for fun and educational outdoor activities for kids.
Benefits of Outdoor Play
Spending time outdoors and exploring nature has numerous benefits for children, including:
- Physical activity: Outdoor play provides children with opportunities to be physically active, which is important for their overall health and well-being. Activities such as running, jumping, climbing, and playing ball games can help children develop their gross motor skills and improve their cardiovascular health.
- Sensory experiences: Nature provides children with a wide range of sensory experiences, such as feeling the grass under their feet, smelling the flowers, or listening to the birds. These experiences help children develop their sensory processing skills and can have a calming effect on their nervous system.
- Cognitive development: Outdoor play provides children with opportunities to learn about the world around them. They can observe and explore natural phenomena, such as the changing of the seasons or the behavior of animals, which can help them develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Emotional development: Spending time outdoors can have a positive impact on children’s emotional well-being. Nature has a calming effect on the brain and can help children reduce stress and anxiety. Outdoor play also provides children with opportunities to explore and express their emotions in a safe and natural environment.
7 Outdoor Activities for Children’s Development and Fun
Engaging children in outdoor play is essential for their overall development. The natural environment is full of opportunities for children to learn about the world around them, develop their skills, and have fun. These activities provide children with a range of benefits, such as improving their physical and mental health, enhancing their creativity and imagination, developing their problem-solving and social skills, and increasing their appreciation and respect for nature.
- Nature scavenger hunt: Create a list of items for children to find in nature, such as a certain type of leaf, a bird’s nest, or a butterfly. Children can explore the natural environment, learn about different plants and animals, and practice their observation and problem-solving skills.
- Plant a garden: Children can learn about the process of growing plants and vegetables by planting a garden. They can learn about the different types of soil, the importance of sunlight and water, and the life cycle of plants. Gardening can also teach children responsibility and provide them with a sense of accomplishment.
- Nature art: Children can use natural materials, such as leaves, flowers, and sticks, to create art. They can make collages, sculptures, or paintings inspired by nature. This activity encourages children to use their imagination and creativity and helps them develop their fine motor skills.
- Hiking: Hiking provides children with opportunities to explore the natural environment, learn about different plants and animals, and practice their physical skills. Children can also learn about trail safety and the importance of respecting nature.
- Outdoor games: Outdoor games, such as tag, hide and seek, or capture the flag, provide children with opportunities to be physically active and practice their social skills. These games can also be adapted to teach children about teamwork, strategy, and problem-solving.
- Water play: Water play can be a fun and refreshing activity for children on hot days. Children can play with water balloons, run through sprinklers, or have water gun fights. This activity also helps children develop their sensory processing skills and can have a calming effect on their nervous system.
- Camping: Camping provides children with opportunities to explore nature, learn survival skills, and practice their independence. Children can learn about setting up tents, building fires, and cooking outdoors. This activity also provides children with opportunities to practice their social skills and develop friendships.
Tips for Outdoor Play
- Safety first: Always make sure that children are supervised when playing outdoors and that they are wearing appropriate clothing and protective gear.
- Be prepared: Bring snacks, water, and sunscreen when spending time outdoors. Also, check the weather Encourage exploration: Allow children to explore and investigate their surroundings. Encourage them to ask questions and provide opportunities for them to find answers.
- Limit screen time: While some educational apps and websites can be beneficial, it’s important to limit children’s screen time and encourage them to spend time outdoors.
- Make it fun: Outdoor activities should be enjoyable and engaging for children. Try to incorporate games, challenges, or rewards to make it more exciting.
Outdoor play can help children develop their gross and fine motor skills, sensory processing skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, social skills, and emotional well-being. Parents and caregivers can encourage outdoor play by providing opportunities for children to explore nature and engage in fun and educational activities.
The Benefits of Storytelling for Children
Storytelling is an excellent way to develop a child’s imagination and creativity. When children listen to stories, they are transported to different worlds and exposed to new ideas and concepts. This exposure helps to expand their thinking and encourages them to think outside of the box.
Listening to stories also helps children develop their language skills. Through listening, they learn new words and phrases and develop their understanding of sentence structure and grammar. This understanding helps them to become more confident speakers and writers.
Storytelling also provides an excellent opportunity for parents to bond with their children. When parents read stories to their children, they are spending quality time together and creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Creative Ideas for Storytime Activities
There are many ways to make storytime activities more engaging and interactive for children. Here are some creative ideas to try:
- Act Out the Story – Encourage children to act out the story as it is being read. This activity helps to develop their creativity and imagination, and it is a fun way to keep them engaged.
- Make Crafts – After reading a story, provide children with materials to make crafts related to the story. For example, if the story is about animals, provide materials to make animal masks or puppets.
- Play Games – Create games related to the story. For example, if the story is about pirates, create a treasure hunt game where children search for hidden treasure.
- Write Your Own Story – Encourage children to write their own stories. This activity helps to develop their literacy skills and encourages them to think creatively.
- Use Props – Use props such as puppets or costumes to bring the story to life. This activity helps children visualize the story and makes it more memorable.
Storytelling is a fun and engaging way to develop a child’s imagination, language skills, and creativity. By incorporating creative ideas into storytime activities, parents can make storytelling even more interactive and enjoyable for children. So next time you’re looking for an activity to do with your child, why not try storytelling?
Arts & Crafts: Perfect for Kids of All Ages
As parents, we want to provide our children with activities that are both fun and educational. One great way to do this is through arts and crafts. Not only do these activities allow children to express their creativity, but they also help develop fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and even social skills when done in a group setting. In this article, we will provide you with some top kids activities in the world of arts and crafts.
DIY Paper Crafts
DIY paper crafts are a fantastic way to keep kids entertained for hours. They can create origami animals, paper airplanes, or even paper flowers. There are plenty of tutorials available online that are easy to follow and can be adapted to suit the age of the child. Children will love the process of cutting, folding, and gluing the paper to create something beautiful.
Painting is a classic arts and crafts activity that children have enjoyed for generations. It’s a fantastic way for children to express their creativity and explore colors and textures. You can use watercolors, acrylics, or even finger paints depending on the age of the child. It’s also a great activity to do outside on a sunny day.
Clay modelling is a fun and tactile activity that can keep kids entertained for hours. Children can make their own sculptures or even recreate their favorite animals or characters. There are plenty of clay options available, from traditional clay to air-dry clay, which is perfect for younger children.
Making jewelry is a fun and easy activity that children can enjoy. They can make friendship bracelets, necklaces, or even earrings. There are plenty of kits available online that come with everything you need to get started. Children will love picking out their own beads and creating something unique.
Sewing is a fantastic activity that can teach children valuable skills. It helps develop hand-eye coordination and problem-solving abilities. Children can start with simple projects like making a pillowcase or a stuffed animal. There are plenty of tutorials available online that are easy to follow, and children will love the feeling of accomplishment when they complete their project.
Scrapbooking is a great way for children to preserve their memories. They can create a scrapbook of their favorite pictures, drawings, or even ticket stubs. It’s a great activity to do with friends or family members, and children will love flipping through their completed scrapbook and reminiscing about their favorite moments.
DIY Soap Making
DIY soap making is a fun and educational activity that children can enjoy. It teaches them about chemistry and the process of soap making. Children can create their own soap using natural ingredients and even add essential oils for a pleasant scent. It’s a great activity to do with friends or family members, and children will love using their handmade soap in the bath.
Arts and crafts are a fantastic way to keep children entertained while also providing educational benefits. These activities allow children to express their creativity, develop fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and even social skills when done in a group setting. We hope this article has given you some inspiration for your next arts and crafts activity with your child.
5 Fun and Engaging Music and Movement Activities for Kids
As parents, we all want to keep our kids happy, healthy, and engaged in activities that will help them develop their skills and creativity. And what better way to achieve this than through music and movement? Music and movement activities can provide a fun and stimulating experience for kids while helping them develop their physical, cognitive, and emotional abilities.
In this section, we will explore the top kids’ activities related to music and movement that can help your child grow and develop in a variety of ways. We’ll discuss how these activities can help kids develop their physical coordination, emotional regulation, and cognitive skills, and we’ll provide some practical tips for parents who want to incorporate these activities into their children’s daily routine.
Dance classes are an excellent way for kids to develop their physical coordination, balance, and rhythm. Through dance, kids learn to move their bodies in new and exciting ways, improving their flexibility, strength, and overall physical health. Dance also helps kids develop their social skills, as they learn to work with others in a group setting and express themselves through movement.
If you’re considering enrolling your child in a dance class, look for classes that are age-appropriate and led by qualified instructors who have experience working with children. Some popular dance styles for kids include ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop.
Music lessons are another great way to encourage your child’s development. Learning to play an instrument or sing can help improve a child’s cognitive skills, including memory, language, and spatial reasoning. It can also help kids develop their creativity and self-expression.
When choosing a music teacher or program, look for one that is tailored to your child’s age and interests. Some popular instruments for kids include piano, guitar, violin, and drums.
Yoga for kids
Yoga is a great way for kids to improve their physical health and emotional well-being. Through yoga, kids learn to move their bodies in new and challenging ways, improving their strength, flexibility, and balance. They also learn to regulate their emotions and manage stress through breathing and relaxation techniques.
If you’re interested in incorporating yoga into your child’s routine, look for classes or online programs that are designed specifically for kids. Yoga classes for kids often incorporate fun and engaging activities like animal poses and partner yoga.
Musical games can provide a fun and engaging way for kids to learn about rhythm, pitch, and other musical concepts. Games like musical chairs, freeze dance, and sing-along can be played with a group of kids, making them a great option for parties or playdates.
If you’re looking for new musical games to play with your child, try searching online for ideas or creating your own games based on your child’s interests.
Finally, one of the simplest and most effective ways to encourage your child’s physical and emotional development is through active play. Encourage your child to run, jump, climb, and play games that require physical activity. This can include outdoor activities like soccer, frisbee, or tag, or indoor games like hide-and-seek or Simon says.
By encouraging your child to engage in active play, you’ll be helping them develop their physical coordination, cognitive skills, and emotional regulation in a fun and engaging way.
Pretend Play Activities: Top Kids Activities to Try Today
As parents, we are always looking for ways to engage our kids in fun and educational activities that will help them develop their creativity, imagination, and social skills. Pretend play is one of the most effective ways to achieve all of these goals, and it is also a great way to bond with our children. In this article, we will explore some of the top kids activities for pretend play, and how they can benefit your child’s development.
Dress-up play is a classic pretend play activity that has been enjoyed by children for generations. It involves putting on costumes and acting out different roles, such as a doctor, firefighter, or princess. Dress-up play is not only fun but also helps children develop their creativity, imagination, and language skills. It also teaches them about different professions and roles in society, and how to interact with others in different scenarios.
Tea parties are another popular pretend play activity that is enjoyed by many children, especially girls. It involves setting up a table with tea cups, plates, and pretend food, and pretending to have a tea party with friends or dolls. Tea parties help children develop their social skills, including sharing, taking turns, and polite conversation. It also helps them learn about table manners and etiquette.
Playing grocery store is a great way to teach children about money, math, and social skills. Children can set up a pretend store with food items, a cash register, and play money. They can take turns being the cashier and the customer, practicing counting money and making change. Playing grocery store also teaches children about healthy eating habits and the importance of making smart food choices.
Superhero play is a favorite among many children, especially boys. It involves pretending to have superpowers and fighting imaginary villains. Superhero play helps children develop their imagination and creativity, as well as their problem-solving skills. It also teaches them about courage, bravery, and standing up for what is right.
Playing restaurant is another great way to teach children about food, cooking, and social skills. Children can set up a pretend restaurant with menus, tables, and pretend food. They can take turns being the chef, waiter, and customer, practicing cooking and serving food, and taking orders. Playing restaurant also teaches children about teamwork and communication.
Pirate play is a fun and adventurous pretend play activity that is enjoyed by many children. It involves pretending to be a pirate and going on a treasure hunt. Pirate play helps children develop their imagination and creativity, as well as their problem-solving and decision-making skills. It also teaches them about history, navigation, and the importance of working together.
In conclusion, pretend play is an essential part of every child’s development, and it is a great way to have fun and bond with our children. The activities listed above are just a few examples of the many pretend-play activities that children can enjoy. By encouraging our children to engage in pretend play, we are helping them develop their creativity, imagination, social skills, and many other important skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Top Kids Activities: Music for Kids
When it comes to kids’ activities, music is a great way to engage children and enhance their cognitive and emotional development. Music has been shown to improve memory, language skills, creativity, and social skills in children. In this article, we’ll explore the top music activities for kids that you can try at home.
Top Music Activities for Kids
- Singing: Singing is a simple and fun way to introduce music to kids. You can sing nursery rhymes, children’s songs, or even popular songs together. Singing can help kids develop their language skills, memory, and creativity.
- Dancing: Dancing is a great way to engage children in music and physical activity. You can play upbeat music and encourage your child to move and dance along. Dancing can help kids develop their motor skills, coordination, and rhythm.
- Musical Instruments: Musical instruments can be a fun way to introduce kids to music. You can start with simple instruments like maracas, tambourines, or xylophones. As your child gets older, you can introduce more complex instruments like a keyboard, guitar, or drums.
- Musical Games: Musical games can be a fun way to engage children in music and learning. You can play games like musical chairs, musical statues, or even a musical scavenger hunt.
- Listening to Music: Listening to music together can be a great way to bond with your child and expose them to different types of music. You can listen to classical music, jazz, pop, or even world music.
Music is a wonderful way to engage children and enhance their cognitive and emotional development. There are many different music activities that you can try with your child, from singing and dancing to playing musical instruments and games. By introducing music to your child from a young age, you can help them develop a lifelong love of music and all the benefits that come with it.
Learning Activities: Top Ideas for Kids of All Ages
As parents, we always want the best for our children. We want them to grow and develop into well-rounded individuals who are confident, curious, and eager to learn. One of the best ways to help our kids achieve this is by providing them with fun and engaging learning activities that can ignite their imagination and foster their creativity.
In this article, we will share with you some of the top learning activities for kids that can help them develop important skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or caregiver, these activities are perfect for kids of all ages and can be done at home, in the classroom, or outdoors.
Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts are a great way to promote creativity and imagination in kids. Whether it’s painting, drawing, or making sculptures, these activities can help children express themselves and explore their artistic side. Arts and crafts also teach kids important skills such as fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and attention to detail.
Science experiments are a fun way to introduce kids to the world of science and encourage their curiosity about the world around them. You can find many easy and exciting experiments online that you can do with your kids at home. From making homemade volcanoes to creating a mini water cycle, science experiments are a great way to teach kids about the scientific method and spark their interest in science.
Cooking and Baking
Cooking and baking are not only fun but also educational activities that can teach kids valuable life skills such as following instructions, measuring ingredients, and time management. Cooking and baking can also help kids develop their math skills, as they learn about fractions, measurements, and conversions.
Music and Movement
Music and movement activities are perfect for kids who love to dance, sing, or play musical instruments. These activities can help children develop their motor skills, coordination, and rhythm. Music also has many cognitive benefits, such as improving memory and language development.
Reading and Writing
Reading and writing are essential skills that every child should learn. Reading can help children develop their vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills, while writing can help them express their thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise manner. Encourage your kids to read books that interest them and to write their own stories or journal entries.
In conclusion, learning activities are an essential part of a child’s development, and parents, teachers, and caregivers should make an effort to incorporate them into their daily routine. These activities not only help kids develop important skills, but they also provide them with a sense of accomplishment and joy. So, let’s get creative and start exploring the wonderful world of learning activities with our kids today!
FAQ about Top Kids Activities
Q: What are some top kids activities that are popular?
A: Some popular kids activities include playing sports, arts and crafts, board games, outdoor activities like hiking and biking, visiting museums and aquariums, and attending music or dance classes.
Q: How can I find the best kids activities in my area?
A: You can search online for local kids activities, check out community bulletin boards, ask other parents for recommendations, or contact your local parks and recreation department.
Q: How can I keep my child engaged during the activity?
A: You can keep your child engaged by choosing activities that match their interests and skill level, providing encouragement and positive feedback, and joining in on the activity with them.
Q: What are some affordable kids activities?
A: Some affordable kids activities include going to the park, playing board games at home, visiting the library, and exploring nature trails.
Q: How can I make sure the kids activity is safe?
A: You can make sure the kids activity is safe by choosing activities that are age-appropriate and supervised, checking equipment for safety hazards, and making sure your child knows the rules and boundaries.
Q: Can kids with special needs participate in these activities?
A: Yes, many kids activities are inclusive and can be modified to accommodate children with special needs. You can contact the activity provider to ask about accommodations and support.
Q: How much time should my child spend on activities?
A: The amount of time your child spends on activities can vary depending on their age, interests, and schedule. As a general guideline, toddlers and preschoolers may benefit from shorter activities of 15-30 minutes, while older children may be able to handle activities lasting up to an hour or more.
Q: How can I encourage my child to try new activities?
A: You can encourage your child to try new activities by exposing them to a variety of options, offering positive reinforcement and praise for their efforts, and being patient and supportive as they explore new interests.
Q: What are some educational kids activities?
A: Some educational kids activities include reading books, doing puzzles, playing educational games, attending science or history museums, and exploring nature.
Q: Can kids activities be a good way to make new friends?
A: Yes, participating in kids activities can be a great way for children to meet and socialize with peers who share similar interests. Some activities, like team sports or group classes, may be especially effective for making new friends.
Q: How can I incorporate learning into kids activities?
A: You can incorporate learning into kids activities by selecting activities that are age-appropriate and educational, encouraging your child to ask questions and explore new concepts, and providing additional resources like books or videos to enhance their understanding.
Q: Are there any benefits to kids participating in activities?
A: Yes, participating in kids activities can have many benefits, including developing physical, social, and emotional skills, boosting self-esteem and confidence, and promoting creativity and imagination.
Providing children with fun and educational activities is crucial for their overall development. From physical activities to cognitive ones, each type of play provides unique benefits for children. Sensory play, in particular, is a great way for children to explore their senses and enhance their cognitive and physical development. By incorporating different types of play into a child’s routine, parents and caregivers can help children develop essential skills and qualities that will benefit them throughout their lives. So, let’s encourage our children to play and learn, and provide them with opportunities to explore, experiment, and create.
To further assist you choosing kids activities, we have included below a list of additional resources and materials.
Additional Research and Statistics
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day for optimal health and development.
A study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology found that participation in structured after-school activities was associated with better academic and social outcomes for children.
The National Endowment for the Arts reports that children who participate in arts activities tend to have higher academic performance and stronger social and emotional skills.
The Child Mind Institute recommends sensory activities as a way to help children develop self-regulation skills and improve their attention and focus.
According to a study published in the Journal of Early Childhood Research, literacy-rich activities such as reading and storytelling can have a positive impact on children’s language and literacy skills. Source:
The National Science Foundation reports that exposure to STEM activities can improve children’s problem-solving skills and interest in science and technology.
A report by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education found that physical activity can enhance children’s academic performance, as well as their physical and mental health.
American Academy of Pediatrics: The AAP provides recommendations and resources for parents on various topics related to child health, including play and physical activity. Their website offers information on the benefits of play and the types of activities that are best for children of different ages.
National Association for the Education of Young Children: NAEYC is a professional organization that promotes high-quality early learning for all young children. Their website offers resources and information for parents on various aspects of early childhood education, including play-based learning and developmentally appropriate activities.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The CDC provides guidelines and resources for parents on promoting physical activity and healthy behaviors in children. Their website offers information on the benefits of physical activity for children and strategies for incorporating it into daily routines.
PBS Kids: PBS Kids offers educational games, videos, and activities for children, as well as resources and ideas for parents and caregivers. Their website includes a section on parenting and child development, with tips and information on play-based learning and other topics.
National Park Service: The National Park Service offers a variety of outdoor activities and educational programs for children and families. Their website includes resources for parents and educators on exploring nature and promoting outdoor play and learning.
Scholastic: Scholastic is a publishing company that offers books, educational materials, and activities for children of all ages. Their website includes resources and ideas for parents on promoting reading, literacy, and learning through play.
Sesame Street: Sesame Street is a children’s television show that offers educational content and activities for children. Their website includes games, videos, and resources for parents on various topics related to child development and learning through play.
The Smithsonian Institution: The Smithsonian offers educational programs and resources for children and families, including virtual tours, educational activities, and games. Their website includes information on various topics related to science, history, and culture, as well as resources for parents and educators.
Parenting Science: Parenting Science is a website that provides evidence-based information and advice for parents on various topics related to child development and parenting. Their website includes articles and resources on play-based learning and the benefits of different types of activities for children. American Camp Association: The American Camp Association offers resources and information for parents on the benefits of camp and outdoor activities for children. Their website includes a directory of accredited camps and information on choosing a camp that is right for your child.


The fourth trecena (13-day “week”) of the Aztec Tonalpohualli (ceremonial count of days) is called Flower for its first numbered day, which is the 20th day of the vientena (20-day “month”). In the Nahuatl language Flower is Xochitl, and it’s known as Ajaw (sun, lord) in Yucatec Maya and Ajpu in Quiché Maya. For the Aztec, the day Flower is the symbol of the soul, purity, and holiness. Through its essential connection to Xochipilli, Prince of Flowers, the day is also related to the arts, music, and dance, though the patron of the day is Xochiquetzal, the Flower Feather, who was briefly described in the preceding Deer trecena. In the anatomical scheme, the day Flower is identified with the breast or chest since the soul was supposed to be located in the heart—whence the crucial importance of heart sacrifice.
PATRON DEITY RULING THE TRECENA
My illustrious informant for matters Maya, Dr. Marguerite Paquin, advises that we really don’t know much about the ancient Maya patrons of the days or trecenas, since so many thousands of their books were burned by the Christian invaders. (But we know that the Maya saw the days as embodying specific deities, as well as each number depicting a deity. For instance, the number one was Ix-Chel, the Maya Moon goddess.) It was only over several intervening centuries that the “Aztec” system of trecena patrons evolved.
Huehuecoyotl (Old Coyote) came into the calendar to rule the Flower trecena at some point probably well before the ascension of the Aztec empire (See my Icon #6). In Maya mythology, One Ajaw is the day-name of Hunahpu, one of the Hero Twins. (For more on those bad boys, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Hero_Twins.) As told in the Popol Vuh, the Maya creation story, Hunahpu and Xbalanque played a ballgame with the lords of the underworld, dancing around every weird thing thrown at them by the death lords and ultimately defeating them through cunning, bravery, creativity, and trickery. Those being qualities of the coyote, Huehuecoyotl was a logical eventual choice for patron of the Flower trecena.
He’s a trickster god of mischief and pranks and can lead one into trouble. Also a deity of sexual indulgence, music, dance, storytelling, and choral singing, he personifies astuteness, pragmatism, worldly wisdom, male beauty, and youth. He’s a balance of old and new, worldly and spiritual, male and female, and youth and old age. He’s a shape-shifter, turning into animals or humans with sexual partners female or male of any species—among his male lovers the aforementioned Xochipilli. Huehuecoyotl brings unexpected pleasure, sorrow, and strange happenings, and people appeal to him to mitigate or reverse their fates.
To return to the multi-faceted Huehuecoyotl entering the ritual calendar, I’ve researched the natural history of the coyote and found that the range of that species only expanded southward from North America down into central Mexico some centuries after the Maya period in Yucatan, probably around 11-1200 AD (CE). Coincidentally, this was also the period when the Nahua peoples entered Mexico, moving into the vacuum left by the collapse of the Toltec empire—or causing it? Considering that the Nahuas seem to have come from the north (at least out of Chihuahua-Chichimeca) and the ancient roots of the mythical coyote in the American Southwest, they may well have migrated together. When the newcomers adopted the ancient calendar, they might reasonably have deified their wily wild companion.
AUGURIES OF FLOWER TRECENA
By Marguerite Paquin, author of “Manual for the Soul: A Guide to the Energies of Life: How Sacred Mesoamerican Calendrics Reveal Patterns of Destiny”
Integral to this “Divine Artistry” trecena are the energies associated with the heat and fire of the sun, which were seen as forces so powerful that they were deified. Although events associated with this time frame can be intense, it can also be a period for “enlightenment” and “flowering.” The overall emphasis is on creativity and craftsmanship in all forms. Those born within this period could become great singers, musicians, song-writers, visual artists, dancers, entertainers, diviners and healers, storytellers, scribes, or orators. Overall, this is a great trecena for tapping into those divine sun-generated creative forces.
Further how these energies connect with world events, see the Maya Count of Days Horoscope blog at whitepuppress.ca/horoscope/. Note that the Maya equivalent is the Ajaw (Sun) trecena.
THE 13 NUMBERED DAYS IN THE FLOWER TRECENA
The Aztec Tonalpohualli, like the ancestral Maya calendar, is counted through the sequence of 20 named days of the agricultural “month” (vientena), of which there are 18 in the solar year. Starting with the last day of the preceding vientena 1 Flower, this trecena continues into the next vientena: 2 Crocodile, 3 Wind, 4 House, 5 Lizard, 6 Snake, 7 Death, 8 Deer, 9 Rabbit, 10 Water, 11 Dog, 12 Monkey, and 13 Grass.
The Flower trecena contains several significant days:
One Flower (Ce Xochitl) was the Day of Flowers, a holiday for feasting and celebrating the arts of all kinds. The Florentine Codex says that Centeotl, the principal maize deity, was born on One Flower with Tlazolteotl (Goddess of Filth) as his mother—as remarked in discussion of the Deer trecena—and Piltzintecuhtli (the Young Lord, the planet Mercury) as his father. This Flower connection suggests to some cults that Centeotl is yet another nagual of Xochipilli. (See the comments on Seven Flower as that deity’s day-name in the Jaguar trecena.)
Five Lizard (Macuil Cuetzpallin) is the day-name of one of the five male Ahuiateteo, gods of pleasure (and excess thereof). His arena of enjoyment is sex. Inasmuch as Huehuecoyotl is the patron of the day Lizard and himself a deity of sexual indulgence, I’d bet that Five Lizard is also his divine day-name, and that the lusty Ahuiateotl is his nagual. If not, he should be.
Seven Death (Chicome Miquitzli): In Maya times, Seven Kimi was a high lord of Xibalba, the underworld, one of the aforementioned deities defeated by the Hero Twins. Though by Aztec times this ancient history was surely long forgotten, it’s likely that one of their many death-lords (ruled by Mictlantecuhtli, Lord of the Land of the Dead) was also known by this day-name.
Eight Deer (Chicueyi Mazatl): Dr. Paquin informs me that for the Maya this was the Day of the Lord Deer with a “resurrection” type of energy of sacrifice and reciprocity. In the Mixtec tradition (widely pictured in those codices) their most famous ruler, leader, and/or warrior of centuries earlier was named Eight Deer Jaguar Claw. He appears many times in the historical Codex Nuttall in uniform portrait images with a jaguar claw added as his heroic epithet and a very recognizable beard.
(In the context of day-names of historical individuals in this trecena, President Biden’s is Two Crocodile. That day relates to (re)birth, nurturing, and ferocious protection, an energy which Marguerite says the Maya connected with the “Womb of Creation” and “world-making.” There’s surely an appropriately heroic epithet in there somewhere, but I’ll leave that to history to choose.)
Nine Rabbit (Chicnahui Tochtli): I have no way of knowing for sure, but there’s a good chance that this is the day-name of another of the 400 Rabbits, another god of intoxication. Maybe it’s the deity of a magic mushroom or the peyote cactus. Who knows? Or cares?
THE TONALAMATL (BOOK OF DAYS)
Several of the surviving so-called Aztec codices (some originating from other cultures like the Mixtec) have Tonalamatl sections laying out the trecenas of the Tonalpohualli on separate pages. In Codex Borbonicus and Tonalamatl Aubin, the first two pages are missing; Codex Telleriano-Remensis and Codex Rios are each lacking various pages (fortunately not the same ones); and in Codex Borgia and Codex Vaticanus all 20 pages are extant. (The Tonalpohualli is also presented in a spread-sheet fashion in Codex Borgia, Codex Vaticanus, and Codex Cospi, but that format apparently serves other purposes.)
As described in my earlier blog The Aztec Calendar – My Obsession, some thirty years ago—on the basis of very limited ethnographic information and iconographic models —I presumed to create my own version of a Tonalamatl, publishing it in 1993 as Celebrate Native America!
With no models, I once more created an image of Huehuecoyotl out of thin air to be the patron deity of the Flower trecena. Working with the decorative motifs from Codex Nuttall, I concocted an iconic semi-kneeling figure frequent in that codex—and coincidentally often observed in the ancient art of the Andes (a fact I didn’t know at the time). Using my artistic license, I made him a coyote headdress with a fluffy coyote tail. To indicate his patronage of the day Lizard, I put one on his shield, and lacking anything better, I gave him the serpent-staff of Chicomecoatl, a maize goddess. That long ago, I didn’t know that a rattle would have been much more appropriate.
A decade or two ago, I was much gratified that somebody boldly took my idiosyncratic image of Huehuecoyotl from the old book, laid it over my version of the Stone of the Suns, and printed it on a T-shirt! At the time, I considered that infringement of copyright was surely the sincerest form of compliment, and later I renounced copyrights in general, hoping that anyone anywhere would make whatever hay they cared to with my art and writing. That’s why I was flattered two years ago that someone apparently liked my work enough to steal the banner of Chantico, Lady of the House, from the last venue of my exhibition YE GODS!
TONALAMATL BORGIA (re-created by Richard Balthazar from Codex Borgia)
This Borgia Huehuecoyotl as an anthropomorphic animal is the more usual image of the god and perhaps the most elegant example with a divine jaguar pelt draped over his throne. The fact that he has two right hands is by now almost to be expected, as does the little guy at his feet. I’ve left them both that way simply for effect. But I did correct the god’s right foot which in the original had seven toes! Though it’s not immediately evident, the hands on the other two figures are turned backwards in painfully unnatural positions. I’ve now gotten fed up with these irritating ideoplastic contortions, and in future, I’ll just fix them whenever they go too far over the top.
Let’s consider the attendant figures (other than the inexplicably floating/falling little guy) and turn first to the topless, buck-toothed female on the left. She kneels in what has to be a seductive pose in keeping with the sexual overtones of the trecena’s patron. She is identified by the items above: the roof of a temple and part of a dot, i.e., the numeral one. She’s a Cihuateotl (warrior spirit of a woman who died in childbirth), One House (Ce Calli), exercising her seductive wiles. Besides being promiscuous, to judge from the augury of the day House, she probably represents intelligence and nobility. In other words, she’s a classy chick.
The bug-eyed guy dancing beside her is her counterpart among of the male Ahuiateteo, Five Flower (Macuil Xochitl), called by some cults Ixtlilton, appropriately the god of games, music, singing, dancing, and merry making and yet another nagual of Xochipilli. Also a sexual deity, Five Flower’s long nose may well be a phallic inuendo, and the flesh-colored lower curl on his song symbol (cuciatl) probably indicates off-color lyrics. (Note also that wavy golden cuciatl as Huehuecoyotl’s happy howling.) These gods are throwing a wild party!
TONALAMATL YOAL (compiled and re-created by Richard Balthazar on the basis of Codex Telleriano-Remensis and Codex Rios)
The first thing to note in this Yoal trecena is that the Lord of the Night just above the day One Flower (and in the upper right corner) is the maize god Centeotl, who was born on that day. His mom Tlazolteotl is the fourth Lord from left and last in the row at the bottom right, and his dad Piltzintecuhtli sits beside him second from right.
The next thing to note is that, like my invented deity, this Huehuecoyotl is a real person wearing a coyote headdress. He looks like he’s dancing, but that same pose is often seen in several codices, an iconic position likely indicating that the supernatural being is floating or flying. While this Huehuecoyotl holds an appropriate rattle in his left hand, I’m at a total loss to explain the gruesome severed arm in his right. Obviously, this scene is no party I’d want to go to!
In spite of her seductive pose, the female figure is also no inducement to party with these folks. Even for ritual sacrifice, poking a stick in your eye is no way to have fun. It does, however, explain the copious tears, the one falling from her left eye symbolizing her as a Cihuateotl. A Spanish notation on the original Codex Telleriano-Remensis mistakenly identifies her as Xochiquetzal, but this promiscuous gal is certainly that goddess’s nagual One Deer. Since it’s her party, I guess the girl can cry if she wants to. Being a spirit of the day Deer, she probably suffers OCD for self-sacrifice and can’t help herself. Another notation identifies the golden material in the bowl in her left hand as “mierda:” Mesoamericans considered gold to be the feces of the gods! Thanks a lot for the invite, but I think I’ll skip this one.
Overlooking the rather grotesque style of this Aubin patron panel, I’ll remark on the strangeness of the anthropomorphic Huehuecoyotl’s wearing Quetzalcoatl’s conch-shell pendant and point out that the items in one of his right hands seem to be sticks for eye-poking, and that the beribboned thing in his other hand looks suspiciously like part of the severed arm in Yoal. Overlooking those macabre facts as well, this scene looks like another hearty party.
Five Flower is in the lower left corner with a rattle and plays on a great big drum (huehuetl), and in the middle bottom is another Ahuiateotl, the oversexed Five Lizard, also with a rattle and a cup of brewski. The simple shield between them is lip service to the standard ornament (see the elegant one in the Borgia trecena). Above Five Lizard’s head hovers his counterpart One Deer with the emblematic tear of the Cihuateteo and skirt and face patterned in red like her nagual goddess Xochiquetzal. Whatever she’s scattering from her bowl doesn’t look much like gold—maybe a powdered entheogen? The item over her head is inscrutable, unless it’s a pitcher of said brewski, and what’s that stool hanging over Five Flower’s head? Party on!
The Borbonicus patron panel for the Flower trecena presents us with a more subdued, if more cluttered, party. In his two right hands, this again anthropomorphic howling Huehuecoyotl holds a fancy rattle and innocent flower-fan and hovers in the iconic “dancing” position. His enthroned companion is Five Flower singing and beating on the huehuetl. This image of that Ahuiateotl is the finest I’ve ever found with a detailed emblematic tattoo around his mouth. (Usually it’s a five-fingered hand—or a confused pattern like that on the Borgia figure above.) The giant ornate cuciatl in the upper center represents the loud thump of the drum. Let’s ignore the rest of the esoteric clutter and enjoy this noisy party.
By now we can easily recognize the elements of this typically sketchy Vaticanus patron panel (clockwise from the left): another anthropomorphic Huehuecoyotl on his throne (with empty hands); the Cihuateotl One Deer with that seductive hand gesture, a tattooed teardrop, and an (empty?) bowl; a nicely complicated shield motif; the bug-eyed sex fiend Five Lizard dancing around; a little guy (like the one we ignored in the Borgia panel) also dancing (or falling down drunk?); and in the middle that anomalous stool we saw in the Aubin panel. Excuse me, but I think I’ll skip this boring party too.
The next trecena will be that of Reed with its monumental patron Chalchiuhtlicue (Jade Skirt), Goddess of Flowing Water. Stay tuned!