The weather is growing warmer. Really, I promise it is. For the first time in months I see nary a snowflake in the ten-day forecast. Get ready, friends, winter is fading!
I love spring. It has long been my favorite season and I ache for it more this year than I ever have. Everyone creeps out of hibernation and takes to the streets. Early morning walks for coffee, playdates at the park, impromptu sidewalk parties right outside your front door… springtime is when we all come alive.
Throughout the winter, my daughter and I wrote up a list of our favorite things to do in the spring. We run through the list on our rides to school, dreaming of the days when we’ll finally be able to turn dreams to reality.
Here are a few of our favorites:
A day at the park
Swings and slides. Games of tag and hide-and-seek. Watching little ones run until their cheeks are flushed (and knowing that all that running will translate into easy sleep later on). Yes, you know you’ll return home with shoes full of sand and wood chips that will coat the floors of your house until winter returns again. But you also know that it’s all worth it.
Sidewalk party!
Don’t be alarmed by the word ‘party.’ We’re not talking about the stressful, birthday type. Sidewalk parties are simple and tend to come together right before your eyes. Simply take your child or children, add a bottle of bubbles or some sidewalk chalk (or both!), and set yourself up on the sidewalk outside of your house. Watch as children from neighboring houses wander over. Toss in a couple of balloons and you’ve got yourself a party! Or, at least, that is how your children will see it and, honestly, that’s what matters.
Turn lemons into lemonade
Yes, some of the sweet, simple things we used to do as kids still exist in today’s childhoods. Kids still set up lemonade stands. We supported a local lemonade stand last year and it’s all we’ve been talking about all winter long.
Wander the Market
There is something that is so cozy and familiar and just plain lovely about a farmer’s market. The colors, the smells, the way everyone sort of smiles like they know you even if they don’t, it all just makes you feel good. And little ones? They love the farmer’s market. Dazzle them with bright, red tomatoes and pale, purple iris. Give them a few dollars and let them pay for their own muffin and they’ll talk about it all week long.
Walk this way
Walks are an incredibly popular ‘with-kids’ activity. But we all know the drill: ten minutes in and someone has to go potty / wants water / feels tired / is bored… and the happy, peaceful walk comes to a screeching halt. So add a twist: bring a camera and snap photos of the interesting things you see along the way. Play ‘I Spy.’ Challenge your little ones to collect flowers or twigs or leaves. Count every blue car to pass you by. Or just engage in conversation. I’ve lengthened so many walks by making them less walk and more adventure.
Wine and dine
Because it’s not all about the kids. Once the kids are tucked in and the chalk has been put away, pour yourself a glass of your favorite, pull on your comfiest sweatshirt, and relax under the stars. Evenings like this are just beginning. It’s gonna be a great spring.
(Note: no, this did not make it to the springtime list I wrote with my girl. I kept this one to myself).
What are your favorite things to do in the springtime?
Happy Spring!
