Hobbies And Interests
Crowns
Crowns can be constructed from virtually any type of flower, but some types of flowers have stronger Marian associations than others. You could choose to use May hawthorns, roses, lilies, marigolds, violets, sea pinks, columbine, snowdrops or stems or Canterbury bells for your kids' wreaths, as these flowers have been symbolically linked to Mary for hundreds of years. String loose flowers into a wreath by sewing them onto ribbons. You also could use a circle of floral wire, bending the stems of the blooms around the wire and securing them with green floral tape.
Kids might enjoy making fake flower wreaths. Try painting paper flowers in blue, Mary's signature color. Imitation flowers also can be made from cloth or tinted tissue paper.
Procession
Before the crowning, organize a procession. Have kids line up and say a rosary. Provide each child with a basket of flowers and a wreath. Have each child proceed to the altar and lay their flowers and wreaths upon it. The youngest child should end the procession by crowning the Mary statue.
Hymns
Marian hymns should be sung after the crowning. Appropriate hymns include "Bring Flowers of the Rarest ( Queen of May)," "Ave Maria," "Tis the Month of Our Mother," "Immaculate Mary," "Hail, Queen of Heaven," "O Sanctissima" and "Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest." Hand out lyric sheets to all the kids and lead them in singing. You also could lead them in singing rounds.
Desserts
End your May Crowning on a festive note with blue-hued drinks and desserts. Frost cupcakes in robin's egg blue frosting, or add food coloring to punch or sparkling soda. You also could serve blueberry muffins, blue-frosted cookies, blueberry cheesecake, blue Jello salad and blue jelly beans. Incorporate other Mary motifs into your desserts by making a trifle studded with candied violets or roses. Mint has been said to be one of Mary's herbs, so you could make a pitcher of iced mint tea, or freeze mint into ice cubes and use them to cool blue-tinted lemonade.