It’s May 1st and all around the world at this time of year ancient peoples celebrated the primal urge to, ahem, pass their genes on to the next generation. Easter bunnies, easter eggs and maypoles all had their roots in fertility rituals of yore, so in honour of the day that’s in it, here’s an homage to the next generation. First up, near the Rock of Cashel, a new generation of black sheep wearing coats a little too big for them.

The younger generation of Holi festival-goers in Maple Valley.

A mum and her babies floating on a ghastly green pond in the Hamptons. Apparently the village pond had been the victim of some pranksters the night before I visited. The pond returned to its normal colour a couple of days later.

Last but definitely not least, a teeny, tiny, fuzzy baby spider monkey in the jungles of Tikal.

So embrace the spirit of the season and show off some youngsters of your own. If you would like to join in (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:

• Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Youngsters
• Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
• Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
• Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS!

xxx Ailsa

There’s something missing about how we’re informing the youngsters coming along about what matters in the world. We teach them the numbers and the letters, but we fail to communicate the importance of our connection to the living world. – Sylvia Earle

Youngsters of the age of two and three are endowed with extraordinary strength. They can lift a dog twice their own weight and dump him into the bathtub. – Erma Bombeck