I don’t know about you, but it feels like in the first few days of spring, our entire household breathes a huge sigh of relief. We made it through another winter. Nevermind that there could still be more snow. We’re just ignoring that.But the first time sun comes out and we can throw the windows open at 40 degrees, my soul just sings. I become a better mom instantly. I genuinely WANT to go outside and frolic. And order barbecue and drink lemonade.
If you’re like me, you want to take advantage of this beautiful weather but may need an activity to provide direction for your kids. Or you’re looking at Spring Break‘s calendar, and it’s more empty than you want to think about….. What am I going to do with the kids?!
Here’s a simple spring scavenger hunt that I’ve compiled. Our contributor Kelly has created a printable for you, to make it easy and enjoyable.
A couple of tips to make it even more fun:
- If you spy any creatures, let your kids name them. My boys recently named a spider “Buttercup.” I’m sure it didn’t hurt the spider’s feelings, but my boys remember that I allowed them to be silly and have some simple fun.
- If you have a digital camera (or if you’re a hipster and have the old-school polaroid handy), grab it. Taking photos of nature will amp up your social media game… I mean, it will connect you more with nature. I often just use the camera feature on my phone. Also, let your kids try their hand at nature photography. Print out any pictures that they take and put them on your refrigerator.
- Try to go to one new place in Rochester that you’ve never been. Stretch your comfort zone. There are over 100 parks in Rochester and 85+ miles of walking paths.
Here are the items to be found.
- A nest….bonus points if there are eggs inside.
- A spider’s web. Preferably not inside your house!
- A robin… Each year we give a prize for the first person in our family to spot the return of the robin. My husband won this year, and the boys are super bummed.
- A feather… If in doubt, hit up Silver Lake.
- A worm
- A bunny
- Blossoms on a tree… This one may be harder to spot until mid-April.
- A dandelion
- A puddle… And let them stomp and splash!
- A green leaf.. Straightforward enough. Bring it home, and they can trace it on a piece of paper.
- A seed pod
- Something yellow
- A mushroom… I’ve seen a few recently at Essex Park and Quarry Hill.
- An ant
- Dew drops This one requires a bit of an earlier morning trek.
- Wildflowers
- Animal footprints… Okay, our “animal footprints” might be from the neighborhood cat that keeps coming in our yard. But it counts!
- Mud… Don’t be squeamish. Clothing can be washed.
- A smooth rock. If you’re having a hard time, look near a river bed.
- A shadow. Because sometimes you need something easy for the littlest ones to spot!
Please don’t feel that you have to find every item on this list. Don’t hold your kids hostage to an activity (“We’re not going home until we cross off three more items! This is fun! This is family time! Enjoy it, already!”) The idea is to get out into nature and to enjoy each other. Let us know if you see any fun signs of spring that aren’t on this list!
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