Spring has sprung – although, since flowers and trees started blooming in February… Anyway, I digress. I love spring – Mother Nature does a beautiful job of surrounding us with vibrant colors that stretch from the sky to the ground. The temperatures let us know that we can store our winter clothes, keeping out a sweater or two for the occasional cool day. Longer daylight hours allow for more time outdoors for exercising, playing, gardening or just enjoying sitting and watching the world go by.
April also brings Easter and, for some schools, it means Spring Break. I love both of these because it means more time with family. As a child, I loved Easter for several reasons. Unlike what is more the norm today, we didn’t go shopping for new clothes on a whim. Except for the odd piece here and there, we went shopping before school started in the fall for the majority of our school clothes, again as winter approached and then for our spring and summer wardrobes. Easter meant finding the perfect dress, hat and patent leather shoes. Even all these years later, I can still remember my favorites.
Easter eggs were dyed the day before in anticipation of being used in our hunt. Dyeing eggs, as I recall, had something to do with vinegar and food coloring. Today there are a multitude of ways to color and decorate eggs. If you are able to spend the holiday with your grandchildren, this is a wonderful activity to do with them. I found so many ideas online for unique ways to turn out eggs that are not just one color. There are also several different kits you can buy that provide materials and ideas that are age appropriate. For little hands, stickers are an easy way for them to be included without becoming frustrated.
Easter baskets, church, a wonderful lunch and then time to find the hidden eggs. If the grandchildren are a wide range in ages, there are different ways to handle it. The hiding area can be sectioned off with different degrees of difficulty. For the very young, put the eggs where they are very obvious to see. As the ages increase, placement becomes more of a true hunt. Plastic eggs with small prizes inside make the egg hunt even more fun.
Many schools take a spring break in April. This is a great time to plan a family trip or just some special day outings. The zoo is about an hour from Winston-Salem and is a wonderful way to spend a day especially on a beautiful spring day. Pack a picnic lunch and some snacks, and make a day of it. North Carolina has mountains, lakes and the Atlantic Ocean all within a doable drive.
Whether you stay home or go on an adventure, the most important thing you can do is spend one-on-one time with your grandchildren. It is something to be cherished, and the memories you make with them will be ones they tell their children. Well, it’s a gorgeous day – think I’ll see if my grands want to go for a walk. Happy spring, everyone!
