Spring is for growing. What’s sprouting in your neighborhood? Plants aren’t the only things shooting up; kids are too. Spring is a good time to measure.
The weather is warming up and occasionally quits raining, so we had to dig out some lighter clothes. Some of last year’s are too small because the kids have grown. Thrilled to think they’d grown, the kids wanted to measure. Sure enough, it was time to add some new marks higher than before. Beside their closets, there is a narrow board for keeping track of how much they’ve grown.
A great idea for spring is to go outside and see what else is growing–other than feet. When Little Sister put on her rain boots, she said her toes were squeezed in these boots. The cherry trees have popped out into blossom and some of the other trees have hints of green around the branches. Certainly, the grass is growing. Definitely, the weeds are sprouting up all over. Some of the places in the yard look like multi-level green carpet and those are the spots that are supposed to be filled with rocks. The neighbor’s magnolia tree is covered with big white buds and our yucca has a flower. Along the path behind the laneway, there are some tiny fir trees not even as high as the kids’ knees. It’s quite exciting to see what’s growing.
What’s growing in your area? Look down on the ground as well as all around. This is a wonderful way to connect with nature. Explaining the life cycle to kids is so much easier if we have given them opportunities to experience it. Spring is such a hopeful season and kids have an amazing capacity for joy.
Spring is for growing and kids do tend to physically sprout at this time of year. We can help them grow in other ways and sprout their connection and appreciation for nature. What’s sprouting for your child?