Spring Family Activities

Signs of spring are everywhere: more daylight hours, mud replacing ice and snow, the temperatures ticking up. This is the time of year that many families are restless to get outside, explore our beautiful area, and burn off some energy.

Here are 42 family activities to do this season. Happy spring!

1. Plant a garden. Research what might grow best in your yard, identify a local shop to pick up some seeds or seedlings, grab a shovel, and dig in.
2. Have a picnic. Outdoor picnics can be a fun way to share a family meal — breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner.
3. Ride a bike. Find some new trails, visit a bike path, or explore a new town.
4. Paddle down a river. There are many places in the area where you can kayak or canoe.
5. Walk around Walden Pond. Spring is a great time to explore the nature sanctuary and look for wildlife.
6. Welcome the birds back with a homemade bird feeder!
7. Climb a hill just before sunset and enjoy the view from the top.
8. Stargaze. Set up a tent in the backyard or go outside on a clear night. Take a flashlight, look up, and enjoy the sky’s wonders.
9. Camp outside. It might be a little cool, but bundle up and enjoy spring’s fresh smells and distinct sounds (like birds!).
10. Run or walk for a good cause. We would love to see you at the Emerson 5k Run~Walk for Cancer Care!
11. Beautify your neighborhood with sidewalk chalk. Draw pictures or write poems and inspirational quotes — the sidewalk is your canvas. Enjoy it!
12. Paint your windows using window or whiteboard markers. Decorate the windows with spring scenes to bring the sunshine indoors. Do a test first to make sure the markers wipe off easily.
13. Are you grateful for someone? Write them a card or send them a picture in the mail. They would love to hear from you!
14. Start a tea party or tea tradition. Choose a time that works best for your family, set the kettle on the stove, pour some tea (decaf for the youngest!), serve pastries and fruit, and enjoy time together.
15. Discover creative ways to celebrate the holidays. Spring is filled with reasons to celebrate! Earth Day is a great reason to get outside, as are Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. You can also learn about spring holidays such as Easter, Passover, Ramadan, and Cinco de Mayo to teach children about different cultures.
16. Volunteer or donate. After the snow melts, it is a perfect time to pick up trash in parks and along sidewalks or trails. Offer to help a neighbor get their yard ready for spring. Start a food drive by collecting donations from neighbors for your local food pantry. Contact the pantry in advance to find out if they need specific items. Look for ways to help resettle refugees from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and other countries — you can check with local aid or religious organizations, for starters.
17. Take photos outside. Once we can shed the hats, gloves, and bulky coats, we can don our nice sweaters, head outside, and take some family photos — informally for fun or with a professional photographer.
18. Washing a car on a warm spring day provides a good, fun opportunity to teach children about the basics of your vehicle.
19. Tend to your yard. Pick up fallen sticks and plant grass seed to fill in the bare spots on your lawn. It may also be the right time to trim trees, shrubs, and perennials of dead tree limbs or leaves. Check with your local garden center or an online resource for questions about proper plant care.
20. Play ball. Shoot hoops, play catch, or kick around a soccer ball with your family. Have fun outside without the structure of an organized practice or game.
21. Go geocaching. You never know what you will find!
22. Create an obstacle course kids can walk, run, skip, or bike through. Coordinate with some neighbors and make it a neighborhood course!
23. Walk your dog or borrow a friend’s. Find the most dog-friendly areas of your town and have some fun.
24. Create a scavenger hunt. Hide clues outdoors and see who can find them all.
25. Spring clean your kitchen cabinets. Remove expired foods, wipe down, and organize the drawers.
26. Go on a hunt to find the best _____ within 10 miles (insert name of food such as “pizza” or “ice cream”). This activity might take you to different towns to explore.
27. Create a stick library for neighborhood dogs. Check out what this creative 10-year-old did.
28. Play in the mud—literally. Pick a warm day, dress in clothes that can get filthy, and explore the earth. Buckets and beach toys add to the fun!
29. Journal or color outside. Take a notebook or coloring books, writing, drawing, or painting tools, and a blanket to sit on, and spend time creating.
30. Set a family exercise goal. Discuss ways to get fit this spring—maybe walking or running two miles each day or having a dance party on your front lawn every afternoon through spring. Whatever it is, devise a goal and stick to the plan. Celebrate when you meet the goal!
31. Set out chairs — and meet your neighbors. You might make a new friend and maybe see some cute neighborhood dogs.
32. Make iced tea and lemonade. Few things compare to homemade iced tea and lemonade.
33. Take up a new hobby. Explore photography, learn a new language, practice juggling, read non-fiction…the sky is the limit.
34. Speaking of the sky, paint the sky! Go outside at dusk with some paper and paints, look up, and paint the sky. Save your paintings as a lasting memory.
35. Clean out the garage, and use the toys you find after you clean up! Hula hoops, an old soccer ball, bits of chalk, a skateboard- who knows what fun is hiding in the garage?!
36. Rearrange your furniture. A fresh perspective can be refreshing. Put family room chairs in the kitchen, re-angle the kitchen table, switch couches around—you get the idea.
37. Thank a teacher. May 8 starts Teacher Appreciation Week. Send a note to your favorite teacher. They will cherish it.
38. Visit the library. Discover new books, stories, and other treasures at your local library. Many libraries offer free special events for children of all ages.
39. Thank a nurse! National Nurses Week is in May!
40. Visit a national park nearby! Minute Man National Historical Park offers many ways to learn about history and life during the Revolution. Before you visit, check out www.nps.gov/mima for special programs and events.
41. Visit a local farm, pick out some fresh produce, and make a meal celebrating spring.
42. Find Ponyhenge or another obscure place! Ponyhenge is in Lincoln, MA, and is one of the few outdoor collections of rocking horses worldwide. It is a unique place for families to explore and let their imaginations run free. It also provides some interesting photo opportunities!

Please drop us a note and let us know how you celebrate spring! You can send it to pr@emersonhosp.org or tag @EmersonHealth on Facebook and Instagram.