Spring has Sprung ... Activities to Enjoy with Your Kids

by Susan Farrell

Springtime. Brings forth all sorts of visions, doesn't it? Tulips, butterflies, birds, buds on the trees, sunshine, gardens... I'm just antsy to start planting everywhere and watch things grow! The kids too can hardly wait to get out and enjoy the warm weather and sunshine.

Unfortunately, springtime also often brings a lot of rain. "April showers bring May flowers ..." There's plenty to do with the kids, however, even on rainy days, to prepare for spring and warmer days. We've provided just a few activities to get you started, and a list of resources too for more ideas.

• Teach your kids about soil and plant parts. Talk about how they grow, the stages, and then start seeds to watch them firsthand.



• Recycle an old tire into a planter for the yard. Use degreaser from the hardware store to thoroughly cleanse the tire of chemicals and grease, then paint if desired with bright colors. Once dried, place in desired location, fill with soil and plant seeds.



• If you live in a colder area where you can't plant outdoors yet, start seeds indoors now. You can use a cardboard (not Styrofoam) egg carton in a plastic tray. Fill with potting soil and plant seeds in each compartment. When the seedlings have two leaves each, soak in a shallow dish of water to soften the egg carton. Plant the whole compartment outdoors when weather is right; the soggy carton will rot away allowing the roots to grow.



• Use toothpicks to support a sweet potato half way up in a glass of water. The sweet potato will sprout roots in the water (which you should keep covering about half of the sweet potato), and the stems and leaves will sprout upward. Once the weather is appropriate, transfer the sweet potato to a warm, sunny spot outdoors. The plant should continue to grow and the roots will grow into more sweet potatoes.



• You can start bean plants indoors in a similar manner. For instructions, see the Kinderart Web site.



• Build a birdhouse. There are kits available at craft stores, or you can recycle materials around the house and yard. Using a large coffee can with plastic lid, cut a hole in the plastic lid and carefully punch four holes in the side of the can approximately 4" apart, forming a square. String two pieces of strong cording through two holes each, to hang the house from a tree or overhang. You can decorate the can using paints or nature materials such as twigs and moss or such. Use your imagination, but keep in mind the exposure to weather. Use glue that will be water resistant, such as hot glue gun. Hang the birdhouse well before your feathered friends are due to arrive, and wait for early birds to move in and begin nesting.



• Make a birdfeeder. Many hardware or craft stores carry have a kit that you can purchase for minimal cost ($2-$4) which attach to a clean 2-liter plastic soda bottle to create a birdfeeder. We recommend using only sunflower seed to fill the feeders so as to avoid having a wide variety of plants growing wherever excess seed is dropped by the birds as they feed. You may even want to plant a few sunflowers in a sunny corner of the yard to grow your own seeds to feed the birds.