Spring is my absolute favorite season! I love opening my windows just as the weather starts to get warmer. The warm breezes that bring in the aromas of blooming flowers or fresh fallen rain bring me so much joy! Other than Easter, though, there aren’t a lot of seasonal traditions that come with spring! For me, all of my family traditions growing up fell in the summer, fall, and winter months. If you’d like to start some fun new spring traditions with your kids, here are some things you can try to make the season more memorable for them!
Plant Flowers or Seeds
One of my favorite memories of spring growing up was going to our local nursery with my mom to pick out plants! I loved wandering down the aisles and aisles of bright, colorful flowers that were just beginning to bloom. My mom taught us to always look at the informational tag that was included on each plant. This would tell you just how much sunlight the plant needed as well as how tall it would grow on average. This was important because she’d always show us how to plant the taller flower varieties in the back and the shorter ones near the front. Once we decided on which flowers we wanted to purchase, we’d haul them home and plant them together. This was by far my favorite springtime tradition growing up that also served as a great learning opportunity for me.
An alternative to this would be shopping for seeds to plant a garden. If you don’t have space to grow a large garden, you can purchase small planters for your patio or windowsill. You can even purchase small plant kits that are made specifically for kids. These are great for teaching about seeds and plant growth. You may remember doing something similar to this in school growing up! You know, with the pea plant seed in a paper cup and yours was the only one in the whole class that didn’t grow? Regardless, this is a super fun way to celebrate growth and spring for kids!
Make a Fairy Garden
Fairy gardens are so fun to put together, especially if you have a little girl. This is a great way to encourage imagination and storytelling fun. You can find adorable pieces to include in your fairy garden at your local craft or dollar store. You can also have your child gather materials she finds around the yard or house. Grab the paints and some rocks from outside and paint some cute ladybugs on them to add to your garden. Need ideas on how to put together your fairy garden? Check out this awesome video tutorial from DIY expert Monica Mangin!
(Photo from Shauna Younge at Momtastic)
Make a Birdhouse or Pine Cone Bird Feeder
One of the first signs that the warmer weather has arrived is the sound of birds chirping. You can buy birdhouse kits that make a super fun craft for your kids to assemble and decorate together. If you want a cheaper alternative, go on a nature scavenger hunt and collect pine cones! Then bring them back home and make some awesome pine cone bird feeders! Check out a book about birds and go on a walk together to see if you can identify the different birds you see.
Visit a Farmers Market
Farmers markets are an incredible way to support local farmers or businesses. Depending on where you live, these may not open until early summer. However, even in colder climates you can find year round markets that you can visit with your kiddos. If you live in a hot place like me, a lot of farmers markets open up in early spring.
Visit a Farm with Baby Animals
One of the best things about spring is all the new life! Let your kids experience this and see some adorable new baby farm animals by visiting a local farm. Lots of places offer events in the spring where you can come see their new animals and even pet or hold them. When we lived in Cache Valley, Utah, they had a weekly event each year where you could do this. This is so fun for kids and gives you a tradition your kids will look forward to each year.
Jump in Puddles
With spring comes rain. It’s inevitable. But rain doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors! Put on your raincoats and rainboots and go jump in puddles together! While you’re out, look around to see if you can spot any rainbows! If you’re into it, you can also go searching for worms.
Fly a Kite
Along with rain, spring often brings windy days as well. So why not go to a park and fly kites together? Even if you’re awful at getting kites into the air like me, kids still have so much fun running around throwing the kite up to see if they can get it to fly high.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Take your bikes or scooters out that have been sitting in the garage all winter and go for a ride! Make a list of things to have your kiddos look for on the way! If you kiddos are still little, put them in a wagon and go on a walk together and have them point out things they see along the way. Whether you have a nice nature trail in your area or prefer to stay on sidewalks, there are lots of fun things for kids to see and find. Here’s a cute free printable you can give your kiddos if you need ideas of what to have them look for.
Coloring
If the weather is just awful, stay inside and color together! There’s nothing better than free, seasonal coloring pages! Get out other fun art supplies like markers, glitter paints, and stickers to make your pictures even more exciting!
Press Flowers and Make Bookmarks
One of my favorite springtime activities in elementary school was pressing flowers and turning them into bookmarks. Go on a walk to find some wild flowers that you like (or pick a few from your own flower garden) and press them with your kids. Here’s an awesome tutorial of how to do this activity from Lovely Indeed!
(Photo from Lovely Indeed)
Make Edible Nests with Cadbury Eggs
One of my favorite treats that arrive in stores at springtime are Cadbury eggs. Not only are they delicious, but they’re so pretty as well! Make these adorable treats from Rachel at Kitchen Cents and put your Cadbury eggs inside for the cutest nests you can eat to celebrate spring.
Learn to Bake Together
Baking in the summertime is not my fav because it’s just too hot. But since you’ve already got the windows open in the springtime, it’s the perfect time to learn to make something new! Try a new bread or pastry recipe you’ve been wanting to make and include your kids in the process! Baking together is a great way to teach kids a new skill while also creating fun memories.
Thinking about how little time I truly have with my kids from when they are born until they go off to college makes me realize just how important creating memories and building traditions are for me. I want to look back on my kid’s childhood with fond memories of all the adventures we had together--whether it’s in the shelter of our home when the rain is pouring in April, or out in the warm sunshine blowing bubbles in May!
For more fun ideas, visit our blog at babycubby.com