We don’t know about you but we are counting down the days until spring. 29 days to be exact! Between illnesses and freezing temperatures, we have not spent enough time outdoors this year. As spring approaches, we are planning outdoor activities for our kids.
One thing that has been easy to plan over the years is family walks. In the evenings after my husband gets off work, we bundle up and take a walk (length depends on temp. and kids). During walks we take turns pointing out signs of spring. Budding trees, rabbits, and bird nests are easy for littles to spot. These signs of spring can be an introduction for talking about plants and animals. You can talk about how the plants or animals start out as a seed or baby and grow from there. You can also count the signs of spring you see.
Growing your own vegetables or fruits is another great way to transition to spring. Whether you live in town or out in the country, you can grow your own food. If you live in town or in a place where outdoor space is limited, that’s okay! You can grow vegetables and fruits in pots or buckets. This year, we are growing our vegetables by seed indoors. When it gets warm enough outside, we will plant our vegetables in a raised garden bed. If you are wanting to do this with your kids, we encourage you to check out some books about gardening at your local library. Then as you read and learn, you can share what you’re learning with your kids. Remember, kids learn through doing and playing. Involve them in the process of planting and transferring your seeds and sprouts. Talk about how plants need soil, sun, and water to grow.
Spring cleaning is another way to prepare for spring. Sit down as a family and write out a list of all the things you want to clean and organize. Encourage your kids to come up with one or two ideas for cleaning their own space. This could be cleaning out their sock drawer and getting rid of mismatched socks. Or going through their stuffed animals and picking out three to donate. If you tend to get overwhelmed with a long list of to do’s (like me), spend one day a week completing one or two tasks at a time. On Saturday mornings we assign all of our kids a job. This could be a chore or something specific to their room. While they work on their jobs, I tackle a bigger task (kitchen or master bedroom). Knowing we are all working helps us stay motivated to get our tasks done. Keep in mind that in different seasons of parenthood, this could be more challenging. Maybe you need to ask someone to come play and hold your littles so you can get things done around your house or outside. That’s okay. Maybe your kids are older and can help out more. That’s okay too.
Our hope is that after reading this, you are encouraged to start preparing for spring!
