Signs Spring Has Sprung!

Was it was dark when your kids boarded the school bus this morning? Did you happen to notice birds chirping instead of the distant rumble of a snowplow? Although it’s hard to believe, spring has finally sprung! Wherever you are in the country, you likely had some record-breaking weather event that made this winter a particularly tough one. We’ve earned a couple of warm(er) days and mild(er) evenings, haven’t we?

As members of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), we encourage active, healthy lifestyles as a way to stem overweight and obesity. HWCF’s free resources at TogetherCounts.com center around energy balance and being active and healthy together as a family.

A fun way to welcome spring and to make it a family affair is to turn it into dinner conversation starters. You and your family can make the most of this happy and rejuvenating time of year and learn a little something in the process.

1. Notice the sounds of spring morning and night by trying to identify back yard birds by their songs and calls. Songbirds and woodpeckers are among the first to be very active in the early spring. Grab the kids after dinner and take a fifteen-minute “bird listening” walk. Owls and red tail hawks will be active in the evening. Talk about what you’re hearing and see if the sounds are different at breakfast time.  For more family outing activities check out the Together Counts™ blog.
2. Birds aren’t the only movers and shakers in springtime. Look down during those family walks and notice caterpillars, worms, a trickle of water from the thawing earth. Start a journal and have each person in your family note what they’re discovering. Discover more energy balance activities here.
3. Spring means it’s time to get kids moving outside. Check out these energy balance tips for Pre-schoolers in  celebration of Head Start’s 50th anniversary. To commemorate the event, HWCF has created a new grant encouraging Head Start programs to encourage active healthy lifestyles. To apply or share with your local Head Start, please visit: TogetherCounts.com/HeadStart.

Share your spring family fun with us on https://www.facebook.com/togethercounts