Seasonal Fun: Spring

Wake up!

Spring is here…

It’s time for blooms,

And cleaning rooms…

Spring is time to sow the seeds of new beginnings.  Begin any family traditions you have had in mind.

Garden:

Give the garden an overhaul.  Feed it well, mulch and prepare for planting.  You may be interested in finding a guide for planting by the moon.  There are special calendars designed to show the most appropriate times for particular kinds of garden tasks.  Old gardeners simply advise – when the moon’s going up (waxing) it’s time to plant above-ground crops.  After the full moon, when it’s waning, it’s time to plant your root crops (like carrots and potatoes).  If you planted some bulbs earlier in the year, you may be lucky enough to have flowers blooming already!  Enjoy the warm afternoons and get dirty in the garden with your little ones.  If your garden is a potted one - transplant, feed and try some sweet peas in a rectangular pot with a mini-trellis.

Craft:

Spring crafts are colourful in celebration of flowers and insects, sunshine and rainbows.  Rejoice the awakening of the animals with little birds’ nests for your seasonal table, butterfly mobiles or wreaths of bright blooms.

Food:

As the days become warmer, revisit the joy of taking a picnic outdoors.  Sharing food together at nature’s pace is something your children will always remember.  The Spring Equinox is a wonderful time to gather with family and friends.

Family Fun:

Spring cleaning need not be a dull task.  With littlies in tow it can sometimes take longer than expected to complete, but they do love to help. Less clutter makes for easier daily tidy-up, so label three boxes “to give”, “to move” and “rubbish”.  Tackle one room at a time.  In the box labelled “to give”, set aside items to pass on to others such as outgrown clothes and toys, or books you won’t read again.  The box “to move” will contain things that need to be taken to other rooms and needs to be emptied frequently.  The final box is for rubbish, and there’s likely to be some even if you are a tidy person. Complete two rooms a week and by the end of September you’ll have probably cleaned your whole home.  Make a game of Spring cleaning and enjoy the benefits.  If it seems too hard with a toddler or baby, enlist a friend to help.  Once each week you can both clean at your place and another day each week at their place.  By the end of the month you’ll have shared many laughs and it won’t have seemed like work at all.  Your homes will be fresh and ready for new beginnings.