Plant seeds together. Plant some easy-to-grow seeds like sunflowers or peas with your child. If you don’t have a yard, try planting seeds in a pot on your patio or even indoors. Kids always love anything to do with seeds and plants. Not only is it super fun to plant your own seeds and watch them grow, but it provides all kinds of learning opportunities. Besides learning about plants, children also learn about responsibility as they learn to care for their plants daily. There’s just something so special about caring for and nurturing a little piece of life on our planet!
Draw with sidewalk chalk. Sometimes we need to help spring along by bringing a little color and joy outside. Not only is it super inexpensive, but it’s great for all ages and has unlimited play potential. No matter what you plan to create with chalk — a rainbow, an inspiring message, or a board of hopscotch or tic tac toe — making art on the sidewalk is a great way to connect, have fun, and inspire.
Go on a spring picnic. Enjoy a spring picnic outside with your child --- even if it's just in your own backyard. Whether you create food from scratch with fresh vegetables and fruit or get it all pre-made from your local market. Don’t get bogged down with the vision of the perfect picnic. The red checked cloth laid out on the beach or the middle of a field of daisies. Don’t worry about the details---memories are made because you did it, not because it was picture-perfect!
Reconnect with nature. Playing outdoors in nature can benefit your kids intellectually, emotionally, and physically. Experience the sights, sounds, scents, and textures of the outdoors. Looking at something ordinary, like a tree, from a different perspective helps children see the world in a different way. Lie under a tree, explore rocks, dig dirt, gaze at clouds, and find butterflies or ants. Be curious together in a free-flowing environment that stimulates all the senses. Being outside just feels good. Children are completely free to explore, move about, and make noise! In nature, children can run, skip, jump, hop, climb, roll, and shout, which relaxes, and reduces tension. It’s the perfect time for parents to be like kids, too!
Blow bubbles. Little bubbles or big bubbles, who doesn’t love bubbles---especially outdoors? Bubbles captivate people of all ages. Perhaps it’s their rainbow reflective surface, the way they float on a breeze, or the satisfaction that comes from popping them. Bubbles "Pop!" when the water that's trapped within the soap bubble evaporates. Here is one homemade recipe: Pour 1/2 cup of dish soap into a large cup. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the dish soap in the cup. Measure 2 teaspoons of sugar and add it to the water/soap mixture. Gently stir your mixture. There are many other recipes to try online. All you need are the bubble wands.
