Spring Break Fun for Families

As the weather is warming up, kids and parents alike start getting restless. While the world outdoors grows more attractive each day, the melting snow means that mud and slush is often the reality of outdoor activities this time of year. After a winter indoors, parents and kids are longing to get a jump on springtime activities, right? Here are a few suggestions to share in the joy of season, while reducing the mess and stress.

For an inspiring activity, try letting the kids pick out plants to take care of. This is a flexible activity that can take many forms depending on age, budget, time, and living environment. The variety of plants is limitless. Encourage kids to do some online research or spend some time in a greenhouse so they can decide on their favorite type of plant, whether flower, herb, vegetable, or fruit.

Once a plant is picked out, it can be purchased fully grown in a pot for immediate gratification or started from seed. A potted plant is best for younger kids since they can learn responsibility by watering it while they watch as it changes a little bit every day. Starting a plant from seed is the most rewarding over time and is made easy today with potting kits that provide many small starter pellets that only require water and seeds, no messy soil, for less than ten dollars. I have bought these at Kmart and use them to start tomatoes and peppers indoors for my vegetable garden.

A plant should be watered regularly and kept in a warm sunny location, according to its instructions. If enthusiasm and space allows, try starting a small garden with plants that the kids pick out. Plants grown indoors can be transferred as the weather allows, while beans, lettuce, and annual flowers can be directly planted in late spring for satisfyingly prolific summer growth.

Taking care of a plant is a peaceful break from a hectic day and encourages us all to stop and think about life other than ourselves for just a moment. Along with love for nature, this is a valuable thing for kids to learn and caring for a plant is a small investment with big rewards.

A beautiful day just begs for a walk outdoors and in spring there is so much to see in any environment. Encourage kids to take a nature walk where they describe the changes of the season, whether birds celebrating the return of warmer weather, running water melting from the snowbanks, or green growth peaking out from under the dead leaves. Younger ones can play games such as I Spy with the spring changes, while older kids might keep a spring diary with temperature, snow melt, weather, or plant growth information. If a digital camera is available, have the kids take documentary photos of the walks and suggest captions for them.

All the inspiring sights of spring can lead to art on rainy days. Kids can record the changes they see outside or the progress of their favorite plant in a scrapbook or perhaps create a card for a grandparent celebrating spring. Older kids can use photos, clip art, MS Paint or other artistic resources on a computer to design a spring collage or even illustrate short stories or poetry about their adventures.

The changing of the seasons is a good time to check out the weather in the rest of the world. In the southern hemisphere, for example, summer is just ending now and it is harvest time. Look up pictures and weather information for countries like Australia or South Africa and compare them to current weather conditions in your town. If the kids have the patience, have them keep track of the weather in both locations over time, using benchmarks such as temperature, precipitation and snow levels. They can graph the information to show how it diverges or collect photos that show the contrasts.

All of these activities can be inspired and guided by parents, but make sure to encourage and allow for kids' amazing creativity to really shine. As they make choices and exercise independence, their enthusiasm will grow and they will require less prodding and assistance to get involved in spring time fun