May 19 – National May Ray Day

National May Ray Day is Today!

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HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL MAY RAY DAY IS TODAY STEP-BY-STEP

Get outside and go for a walk – hopefully there are sunny rays out!
Celebrate famous people named Ray.
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Consider 95 Ways to Enjoy the Outdoors.
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12/21/2024 03:35 am GMT

May Ray Day, celebrated every year on May 19, encourages everyone to step outside and embrace the sunshine and fresh air. Created in the 1970s by Richard Ankli in honor of his brother Ray, this day is all about welcoming the warmth of late spring and enjoying outdoor activities. Whether it’s relaxing in the park, taking a walk, or simply soaking up the sun, May Ray Day invites people to pause their indoor routines and appreciate the beauty of nature. It’s a lighthearted reminder to celebrate the change of seasons and the arrival of summer.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF NATIONAL MAY RAY DAY

National May Ray Day was created by Richard Ankli in honor of his brother, Ray, as a way to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather and the joys of being outdoors. Established in the 1970s in Michigan, the idea behind May Ray Day is to encourage everyone to step outside and enjoy the sunshine, particularly on May 19, when the spring warmth truly begins to shine. Richard Ankli’s playful tribute to his brother has since grown into an unofficial holiday where people are reminded to take a break from indoor life and appreciate the beautiful outdoors.

100 WAYS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL MAY RAY DAY

Have a picnic in the park: Pack a basket of your favorite foods and enjoy a relaxing outdoor meal in the sunshine.
Go for a nature hike: Explore a local trail and enjoy the fresh air while getting some exercise.
Fly a kite: Take advantage of a breezy spring day by flying a colorful kite in an open field.
Play outdoor sports: Gather friends or family for a friendly game of soccer, basketball, or volleyball in the park.
Visit a botanical garden: Spend the day admiring blooming flowers and lush greenery at a nearby botanical garden.
Go on a bike ride: Take a scenic bike ride through your neighborhood or on a dedicated biking trail.
Have an outdoor yoga session: Practice yoga in your backyard or at a park, connecting with nature as you move through poses.
Set up a backyard BBQ: Fire up the grill and invite friends or family for a delicious outdoor barbecue.
Take a boat ride: Enjoy the water by renting a kayak, canoe, or paddleboat and spending time on a lake or river.
Host a garden tea party: Set up a table in the garden and enjoy tea, sandwiches, and pastries in the open air.
Go birdwatching: Bring binoculars and a bird guidebook to a park or nature reserve and see how many bird species you can spot.
Create outdoor art: Set up an easel or bring a sketchbook outside and draw or paint scenes from nature.
Plant a flower garden: Spend time planting flowers, shrubs, or vegetables in your garden to celebrate spring’s growth.
Take a photography walk: Bring your camera or phone and take photos of the blooming flowers, trees, and wildlife in your area.
Have a family scavenger hunt: Organize an outdoor scavenger hunt where participants search for natural items like leaves, rocks, and flowers.
Go fishing: Spend a peaceful afternoon by the water, casting a line and enjoying the tranquility of nature.
Watch the sunset: Find a comfortable spot to sit and watch the sun set, taking in the beauty of the changing sky.
Host an outdoor movie night: Set up a projector and screen in your backyard and watch a favorite film under the stars.
Have an outdoor dance party: Bring a portable speaker outside and dance to your favorite music with friends or family.
Play frisbee or disc golf: Enjoy a casual game of frisbee or try your hand at disc golf at a local course.
Go camping: Set up a tent in your backyard or at a nearby campsite to spend the night under the stars.
Take a walk on the beach: If you’re near the coast, head to the beach for a leisurely stroll along the shore.
Go rollerblading or skateboarding: Dust off your skates or skateboard and cruise around a park or neighborhood.
Visit a farmers market: Explore a local farmers market, picking up fresh produce and enjoying the outdoor atmosphere.
Have a lawn game tournament: Set up lawn games like cornhole, bocce, or horseshoes for some friendly competition with friends or family.
Sunshine Relay Race: Create teams for a relay race outdoors, focusing on speed and cooperation in the sun.
Frisbee Golf: Set up a fun course using targets like trees or buckets for a friendly frisbee competition.
Picnic Blanket Tug-of-War: Use picnic blankets for a tug-of-war challenge in the grass.
Beach Ball Volleyball: Play volleyball with a large beach ball for a lighter and more playful twist.
Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest: Give participants chalk to create sunny day masterpieces on the pavement.
Water Balloon Toss: Pair up players and toss water balloons, stepping farther apart after each successful catch.
Hula Hoop Challenge: See who can keep a hula hoop spinning the longest in the sunshine.
Sun Hat Ring Toss: Use sun hats as targets for a ring toss game using lightweight rings or hoops.
Lawn Bowling: Set up a DIY bowling alley on the grass using soda bottles as pins.
Nature Scavenger Hunt: Organize a scavenger hunt for natural items like leaves, rocks, or flowers.
Capture the Sunbeam: A twist on capture the flag, but with brightly colored bandanas or fabric as “sunbeams.”
Kite Flying Contest: See who can keep their kite in the air the longest or do the best tricks.
Sunflower Seed Spitting Contest: For a quirky activity, challenge people to spit sunflower seeds the farthest.
Nature Bingo: Create bingo cards with items you can spot outdoors, such as trees, birds, or insects.
Giant Jenga: Play a giant version of Jenga outdoors with oversized wooden blocks.
Sack Races: Get hopping with sack races, a classic outdoor game perfect for a sunny day.
Bubble Blowing Competition: See who can create the largest bubble or blow bubbles the farthest.
Cornhole: Set up cornhole boards and see who can get the most beanbags into the holes.
Obstacle Course: Design an outdoor obstacle course with cones, ropes, and other items for a fun challenge.
Parachute Game: Use a large parachute for cooperative games like lifting balls into the air or keeping them bouncing.
Nature Freeze Tag: Play freeze tag, but players must freeze in the shape of something found in nature.
Ring Around the Sprinkler: Set up a sprinkler and challenge players to run around it without getting wet.
Musical Towels: A sunny spin on musical chairs, but using beach towels instead of chairs.
Shadow Tracing: Have players trace each other’s shadows with chalk, capturing the changing sunlight.
Sunny Day Charades: Act out summer and sunshine-related words and phrases in a game of charades.
Sun Catchers: Use transparent plastic or glass, tissue paper, and glue to create beautiful sun-catching decorations.
DIY Flower Crowns: Gather flowers and greenery to make handmade crowns for a sunny day accessory.
Painted Rocks: Collect rocks and paint them with bright, sunny designs or inspirational words.
Nature Wind Chimes: Use sticks, leaves, shells, and string to create a wind chime that sings in the breeze.
Pressed Flower Bookmarks: Press flowers and leaves, then attach them to cardstock with clear laminate to create a unique bookmark.
Sun Prints: Use light-sensitive paper to create art by placing leaves or other objects on top and exposing them to sunlight.
Painted Flower Pots: Decorate terracotta pots with bright paints and patterns, perfect for planting summer flowers.
Solar-Powered Jar Lanterns: Add small solar lights to mason jars to make simple and effective lanterns.
Leaf Rubbings: Place leaves under paper and use crayons to rub their textures and shapes onto the page.
Pinecone Bird Feeders: Cover pinecones in peanut butter and birdseed to make easy bird feeders.
DIY Sand Art Bottles: Fill glass bottles with layered colored sand to make decorative keepsakes.
Tie-Dye T-shirts: Use vibrant dyes to tie-dye plain white shirts in sun-inspired patterns.
Beaded Sun Necklaces: String yellow and orange beads to create necklaces that capture the colors of the sun.
Clay Sun Faces: Mold air-dry clay into sun shapes and decorate with paints for a sunny keepsake.
Nature Picture Frames: Glue twigs, leaves, and flowers around a frame to create a nature-inspired picture holder.
Fabric Sun Prints: Use fabric dye or paint to create sunburst patterns on cloth or pillowcases.
Shell Art Collages: Gather shells from the beach and use them to create collages on canvas or wood.
Paper Plate Suns: Cut out and decorate paper plates with paint, markers, and glitter to look like suns.
Painted Garden Stones: Paint stones with bright designs or plant names to mark spots in a garden.
Summer Memory Jars: Collect mementos like sand, shells, or photos from sunny days and place them in jars.
Woven Sun Wall Hangings: Use yarn and a small loom or hoop to create sun-inspired wall hangings.
Tissue Paper Flowers: Make colorful flowers from tissue paper to decorate your space with sunny blooms.
DIY Butterfly Feeders: Create a simple butterfly feeder using a small dish, sugar water, and bright flowers.
Solar-Powered Sun Oven: Craft a small DIY solar oven from cardboard, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap to harness the sun’s energy.
Sunflower Paper Fans: Make paper fans shaped like sunflowers for a functional and decorative craft on a sunny day.
Sunshine Fruit Salad: Mix together bright, sunny fruits like oranges, pineapples, and mangoes for a colorful salad.
Lemonade Popsicles: Freeze homemade lemonade into popsicles for a refreshing treat on a sunny day.
Solar Oven S’mores: Use a solar oven to melt chocolate and marshmallows between graham crackers for s’mores.
Mango Salsa: Combine diced mango, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice for a tropical salsa perfect for chips or tacos.
Citrus Grilled Chicken: Marinate chicken in a lemon and orange citrus marinade before grilling for a zesty flavor.
Sunny Side Up Egg Pizza: Make a pizza topped with eggs sunny side up for a breakfast-inspired dish.
Grilled Pineapple Skewers: Thread pineapple chunks onto skewers and grill for a caramelized, sweet treat.
Orange Creamsicle Smoothie: Blend orange juice, vanilla yogurt, and ice for a smoothie that tastes like a creamsicle.
Flower-Shaped Sandwiches: Use flower-shaped cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into cheerful shapes.
Tropical Fruit Kebabs: Skewer chunks of pineapple, watermelon, and kiwi for a colorful and healthy snack.
Lemon Bars: Bake zesty lemon bars with a buttery crust for a dessert that’s as bright as the sun.
Sunflower Cupcakes: Decorate cupcakes with yellow frosting and chocolate chips to resemble sunflowers.
Citrus-Infused Water: Add slices of lemon, lime, and orange to water for a refreshing citrus drink.
Grilled Corn on the Cob: Grill corn on the cob with a buttery garlic glaze for a perfect sunny-day side dish.
Pineapple Coconut Sorbet: Blend pineapple and coconut milk for a light and tropical sorbet.
Sunburst Deviled Eggs: Create deviled eggs topped with paprika or a sun-shaped garnish for a festive twist.
Tangerine Glazed Salmon: Glaze salmon with a sweet and tangy tangerine sauce before baking or grilling.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad: Mix sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and feta into a pasta salad for a Mediterranean vibe.
Citrus Cheesecake Bars: Make creamy cheesecake bars with a lemon or orange zest for a tangy twist.
Frozen Fruit Yogurt Bark: Spread yogurt on a baking sheet, top with fruit, and freeze for a cool, sun-themed snack.
Peach Iced Tea: Brew iced tea and mix in peach slices and juice for a refreshing and fruity drink.
Sunny Citrus Muffins: Bake muffins flavored with orange or lemon zest for a bright and flavorful snack.
Grilled Shrimp with Lime: Skewer shrimp and grill them with a lime and garlic marinade for a zesty appetizer.
Sunflower Seed Trail Mix: Combine sunflower seeds, dried fruits, and nuts for a crunchy and nutritious snack.
Tropical Parfaits: Layer yogurt, granola, and tropical fruits like papaya and pineapple for a healthy, sun-inspired breakfast.