The Spring Equinox has come and gone. Warm breezes (and gusty winds), budding trees, and birdsongs at dawn. Spring brings a sense of renewal, of rebirth, of expansion after a winter of metaphorical slumber. In our home, we begin the folding away of our sweaters and winter socks. We fill baskets with our scarves, mittens, and warm hats and store them away. Out come the (sometimes floppy) sun hats and cravings for watermelon and lavender lemonade. If you’re like me, you may have already scratched your itch for Spring cleaning. We open our windows to let the Spring air move through our space, cleansing and moving the hibernation of Winter out. A sense of awakening, of yawning and stretching, moves through us.
During the Spring and Summer months, our lives may not slow down, but we do have a renewed sense of energy and aliveness. Whenever we feel this way, we start new projects.
5 Basic Family Activities to Spring into Action
- Make rosewater – We make rosewater every year at this time. we add bergamot essential oil and keep the refreshing concoction in a spritz bottle to spray anywhere and everywhere whenever.
- Plant a garden – This isn’t always easy for those of us who live in an urban area. But you can check out community spots if you don’t have a backyard. We garden with Denver Urban Gardens. No garden? You can grow a few plants indoors and/or you can compost. Start a compost pile/bin and donate the compost to the school garden or your local community garden.
- Read books or poems about Springtime in nature Or, perhaps, write them together if your child is older. Our favorites when she was younger:
- Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale by Sibylle von Olfers
- The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle von Olfers
- Children of the Forest by Elsa Beskow
- The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow
- Make blackberry lavender lemonade (many, many recipes online) or watermelon juice (self-explanatory)
- Make sun teas and add ice and fruit juice – We like hibiscus tea over ice and black cherry juice or rose tea over ice + apple juice!
What are some Spring projects you do with your family? What are your favorite Springtime recipes?
– Written by Jasmine Krapf
