Spring Activities for Kids

Children are used to doing things on a schedule at school. Though they crave to be out of school and doing their things, sometimes they need some help with ideas. Spring vacation is also a great time to catch up with kids. Here are some ideas for spring activities for kids and parents to enjoy.

Let Kids Do the Teaching

All year long kids are in school learning new things and going on field trips to different places. On spring vacation, when looking for something to do, let the child be the tour guide through a museum their class visited, or teach a craft they did in class. This gives children a chance to be the teacher, share something they enjoyed, and reinforce a learning experience.

Explore the Surrounding Environment in Spring

There are all kinds of things around to enjoy, but sometimes it is too easy to forget how the little things can be so interesting. Here are some ideas of spring things to do:

• Go for walks or hikes and stop to look around at the wildflowers, different insects, the water life.
• A marshland in the area may offer guided sessions of dipping a net in the water and talking about what is fished up.
• Get a net and a bucket with water, go to a stream or pond and examine some specimens and then put them back, and try to figure out what was found.
• Taking pictures of whatever is around is another great way to discover nature, flowers or birds, or animal tracks. These could be compared later to pictures in the book.
• Collecting different kinds of rocks, seashells, or beach glass, washing them off, and organizing them in a box makes a nice hobby.
• Painting large rocks to put in a flower bed is fun.
• Take the time to learn to skip rocks; it is not as easy as it sounds. Throwing rocks in the water and hearing the splash is fun, but finding the right stone and tossing it so it skips across the top of the water takes practice.
• Take the time to build a great sandcastle, with all the works. Gather driftwood and seaweed to decorate, and use small sticks to dig out windows and doors. Make a moat and fill it with water. It can be a project for everyone and don't forget to take a picture after all that work.
• Pick a clear night, get a good book with pictures of constellations, make some snacks, and have a nighttime picnic and star gazing outing.
• Do a rotation of the local play areas at different schools and community clubs. It is a chance to check out different play structures, basketball courts, skate parks, etc. For smaller kids, it is a chance to play on things the big kids usually use during school time.
• Corn mazes are not quite open yet, but some of those places may be open for berry picking, or petting zoos and play areas.

Places to Look for Planned Spring Activities

Some places offer spring activities for kids that people are not always aware of:

• Look for attractions in the area that may have been overlooked.
• Many places that offer day camps will allow drop-ins for a day instead of signing up for the entire week.
• Provincial and Federal Parks offer interpretive programs.

Spring is a great time to relax and enjoy having a little less structure. It is good though to have a list of spring activity ideas for when they are required. Whether having children do the teaching through a guided activity they are familiar with, exploring the surrounding area, remembering how many fun kids find the little things to be, or seeking out a planned activity, spring activities for kids are everywhere.