And don’t worry, you don’t need a lot of cash to truly enjoy springtime. It only takes a little creative to find the family fun you are looking for. Here are 12 spring outdoor activities for the family:
1. Picnic Season Starts
Who doesn’t love a good picnic, right? Well you certainly don’t need to wait until the hot days of summer to enjoy this activity. You might still need a light jacket in the spring, but you will love feeling the warmth of the sun on your face as you enjoy a relaxed lunch or dinner on a blanket underneath the sky.
Another great thing about picnics is that they can be set up anywhere, even your backyard if you can’t go far. And they won’t cost you a dime.
2. Create Art with Sidewalk Chalk
Drawing and coloring is such a stress-reducing activity for both kids and adults (think adult coloring books) so why not take your artistic creativity outdoors with sidewalk chalk. Get the whole family involved and draw one big scene or let each family member have their own section of the sidewalk or driveway. Think about the hours of fun that can be had in the fresh air.
3. Commune with Nature
If your family loves going on long walks together and exploring nature then hiking can be a great family activity for the spring. Check your local parks for cool trails and if you are feeling really adventurous, drive out a little further to find some new areas to explore.
4. Participate in a Community Project
Nothing feels better than making a difference in somebody’s life, and giving back to your community is an important value to teach your children so why not set some time aside this spring for a community project.
Whether you sign your family up to help with an already established project or you spearhead one yourself, this might be one of the most important things you do as a family this spring. It can be as simple as organizing a neighborhood cleanup or creating a fundraiser to help those in need.
5. Go Fly a Kite
It seems like flying kites has become a lost art form, but you can introduce your kids to it at a minimum cost. You can easily get kids’ kites at your local dollar store and then simple pack everybody up and head to your local park or beach for some sky high fun.
6. Take a Family Bike Ride
Hours of fun can be had exploring your city on bike. Equip all your family members with the right size bikes and gears, and for the little ones purchase a baby seat or bicycle trailer to attach to your bike. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. There are many second-hand stores where you can find bikes and gear still in good condition.
7. Cultivate Your Green Thumb
What kid doesn’t love getting dirty? And even adults find it therapeutic to work in the garden. Get everyone involved in what to do with your garden beds this year? Do you want to plant flowers or vegetables or both? Do you want a certain color theme?
Then set aside some Saturday and Sunday mornings for prepping the garden beds and picking out all the flowers and vegetables. And last but not least set aside a day or two to do the actual planting. This can turn into a real fun project that you will be able to enjoy together all spring long.
8. Warm up the Grill and Fire pit
Don’t wait until Memorial Day to start grilling again. Get the barbecue out now and start enjoying those barbecue favorites again. If you have a fire pit too, this is the perfect season for toasting marshmallows and making s’mores. A lot of family bonding can happen hanging out in the backyard enjoying tasty treats and gazing at the stars.
9. Camp out underneath the Stars
Spring is a great time to plan some camping trips. It might still be a little chilly at night though so make sure you prepare accordingly with warm sleeping bags and tents with extra insulation. Plenty of campgrounds will start to open for the season at this time, but you can also do a little camping in your own backyard as well.
10. Play, Play, Play
Who says that you have to do something fancy or well-organized every free minute this spring? Free play can be amazing even for us adults. Gather up the kids for an impromptu game of tag or other fun outdoor games. It will get everyone away from their electronics for a little while and create some great memories. And not to mention it is good exercise. Sounds like a win-win to me.
11. Visit Local Botanical Gardens
If you don’t have much of a green thumb or live in a dense city area where there isn’t a lot of room for gardening, don’t worry there is still ways for you to enjoy the beauty of nature. Most areas have at least one or two local botanical gardens that are open to the public. There may be a fee for this activity, but it is worth it to spend a couple of hours immersed in the natural world.
12. It’s Family Reunion Time!
If you have a big extended family and it is hard to get everyone together, why not make spring time, family reunion time? There are plenty of ways to do it that won’t cost a lot of time or be complicated to set up. Reserve tables at your local park and set a date and then everyone can all pitch in by bringing food and drink and fun games to play. Potato sack games are always a hit at family reunions.
Whatever you decide to do this spring, make sure you get outside away from the electronics and just have fun as a family.
