Celebrating Spring

When my daughters have days off from school, I like to plan a few activities for us to do together. Since Spring Break is quickly approaching, here are some ideas for celebrating the arrival of the new season.

1. Go on a picnic. This could be at breakfast, lunch or suppertime. Allow your children to help pack the food and bring along a ball or Frisbee to work in a little exercise after you’ve eaten. We’re planning to visit a “new-to-us” park with our own picnic lunch sometime soon.
2. Plant something. It can be a flower, a vegetable, a fruit or an herb. We typically do our planting in containers, but you could also do it in your yard. I’m not typically a “get-dirt-under-your-fingernails” type gal, but it’s exciting to do this with our children and let them watch something that they’ve planted begin to grow.
3. Have a baking day. This is a good activity if you’re stuck inside due to bad weather. We usually make these scrumptious butter cookies and frost them with icing we’ve tinted in pretty pastel colors. Another option is sugar cookies cut into spring shapes, such as flowers, kites or baby animals. Make a large batch of whatever you choose to bake and share some with another family.
4. Take your camera along on a walk and snap pictures of any signs of spring you see. Once the photos are printed, create a large collage with them. Alternatively, have your children cut appropriate pictures out of old magazines.
5. Visit the library and check out spring-themed books. Read about seeds, flowers and butterflies.
6. Pull all of the outside toys that are stored in the garage out into the yard or driveway. Give each child a sponge or rag along with a bucket of soapy water and let them clean off all the toys.
7. Hold an egg hunt. In past years, we have done this multiple times in the weeks around Easter. I’ll usually put candy in the eggs before I hide them around the yard, although they enjoy finding the eggs even without the sweet treat. You could also turn it into a treasure hunt by numbering the eggs and having them find each one in order. Inside of each egg, place a piece of paper with a clue written on it, leading them to the next egg, ending with a small prize.

How do you celebrate the arrival of Spring with your children? I’d love to hear your ideas!

photo courtesy public domain pictures