WINTER. You know – the time of year that feels like an eternity when you are parenting a young child that wants nothing more than to go outside and play. Honestly though, is there anything more exhausting than staying inside with your child all day? Most of us will do anything to escape this fate. Random adventures to every store within driving distance just to get out of the house? Yep! A Starbucks trip for the fourth time in a single day? You bet! Then… something shifts in the season. It’s beginning to get a little warmer. The sun is staying out longer… it’s SPRING! Now, if you ask me, there are a million reasons to love spring but, as a parent, at the top of my list is the perfect weather conditions for outdoor activities. However, after a long winter of hibernation some of us may need to refresh our minds on some of the exciting things we can do outdoors with our kids. To help you out, here is our top 10 list of springtime activities to engage in with your little’s:
- Go on a Picnic – because who doesn’t love hanging outside and eating great food?!
- Bounce a Bubble – Spring is the perfect time to go outside and blow bubbles with your kids. Among the many online recipes for bubbles, we discovered these fantastic bouncing bubbles from Steve Spangler.
- Scavenger Hunt – A scavenger hunt can be super fun and super easy. We suggest that you take a few cheap objects from around your house (maybe some small toys?) and hide them outside the night before. If you want to spice it up, you can create a little map of “clues” for your child to use as a guide when you go on your adventurous hunt!
- Create an Obstacle Course – This is a great way to make use of all the “stuff” that is cluttering up your garage. Get it out and create a fun obstacle course and then… maybe you can leave it out by the trash? Obstacle course and spring cleaning knocked out at once = winning.
- Family Walk – This is self-explanatory but there is a lot of value in just getting out together and going on a walk. Try to eliminate distractions and use of technology while you’re out walking together. Just focus on being present.
- Chalk – After you take a walk go ahead and bust out that chalk! Sure, it can be messy but that’s part of the fun! Playing and creating with chalk is a great way to strengthen your littles artistic muscle.
- Break out the Balls – Whether it’s soccer, baseball, lacrosse, basketball or football; springtime is a great time to break out the balls and burn some energy!
- Pop a Tent – Many kids love tents! Dust off that old camping tent and create an outdoor oasis for you and your little to enjoy. To you it’s just a tent, but to your child it could be a princess castle, PJ Mask’s headquarter or a private Eskimo hide-out.
- Water Play – Water play can be a powerful and fun way to work on your little’s sensory skills. Here’s a great site to visit for some wonderful ideas.
- Trip to a Park – This should be a no-brainier, but don’t forget to utilize your local parks. Parks provide a great way to burn some energy, get outside and even meet new people in your community!
Leave a Reply