10 Spring Outdoor Activities to Enjoy with Your Kids
Spring is the best time of the year to head outdoors and have a little fun under the sun. It's also the best time to get the family together for some quality family time. So if you and your kids are looking for ideas on how to enjoy a beautiful spring day, here are 10 fantastic spring outdoor activities you can try.
1. Visit the park
Parks are perfect places for enjoying the outdoors. Visit your state's parks and reserves and enjoy the varied outdoor activities they have to offer. Go explore a cave, go hiking or bush walking, go kayaking down a river or go bird watching-the choices are endless. Click here for a list of Australia's national parks.
You don't have to go far to enjoy the park. If you're family is on a budget, why not pay a visit to your local park for a day under the sun. You and your family can have a picnic, ride bicycles, or play games. Fun family choices include Frisbee, tag, badminton, volleyball, soccer and softball.
2. Plan a picnic
Fill your picnic basket with healthy foods and the freshest produce of this season. A healthy springtime meal can include a salad with fresh lettuce, grilled chicken, seasonal vegetables like peas and beans, and fresh strawberries. Let your kids do the meal planning and let them help in the preparation. You'll feel great and save money by cooking at home.
3. Fly a kite
What kid doesn't enjoy flying a kite on a windy day?
Nothing's more exhilarating for a kid than to see his kit soar up into the sky, especially if he's made it himself.
Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to construct a simple kite for your kid. For more challenging templates, click here.
4. Go bike riding
Gather the family and go bike riding around your neighborhood or through a park. Biking is a great way to get into some aerobic exercise after months of staying indoors throughout winter. Just make sure you're wearing helmets and following road rules.
5. Go on a hike
Tread on those hiking trails and take in nature's beauty as it awakes from its winter sleep. Pack your picnic basket and take your family to a walk in the wilderness. You can also use this time to talk about the local wildlife and how to care for them.
6. Go miniature golfing
Teach your kids the value of patience and control on the green. Golf is also a game that the entire family can play regardless of skill level. So bring along everyone, including grandma and grandpa, for a putt putt on the green.
7. Draw on the sidewalk
Chalk drawings are a great way to encourage your kid's inner Rembrandt or Picasso. Use the pavement as their canvas and let them express themselves freely. Just make sure to take a snapshot of their masterpieces before the rain washes them away.
Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to make your own sidewalk chalk.
8. Plant a vegetable garden
Planting a vegetable garden is not only a fun way to actively engage your kids; it's also a terrific way to encourage them to eat vegetables. Ask your kids to help in the rowing and planting of seeds. Start with vegetables that are easy to grow to guarantee a decent crop to encourage your kids and keep their enthusiasm high. Some easy growing vegetables include lettuce, carrots, radishes, green beans, spinach, beetroot and tomatoes.
9. Plant a butterfly garden
Planting a butterfly garden is one of the most interesting you can do with your kids this spring. Butterfly gardens offer a wide array of colourful flowers that provide the nectar that attracts the butterflies. Find a spot in your garden that receives about six hours of sunlight a day and sheltered from the wind. Fill it with flower-producing plants that bloom throughout the season, such as petunia, marigold, annual aster and zinnias. You can also add perennials, such as sunflowers, butterfly weed, lilac and purple cornflower. Make sure to put the taller plants at the back of the garden. You can then wait for the butterflies to arrive once the flowers are planted.
10. Make your own garden stepping stones
Homemade step stones are not only great additions to your garden, they're also a fun and creative way to get your kids engaged in a family bonding activity. Design your own or use your child's hand and footprints for a more personalized step stones Check out the link here for step-by-step instructions on how to make your own stepping stones.