Spring Activities for Family Fun

There's more sunlight and warmer weather in the spring, so enjoy it with a walk. Mix things up by finding a new path or trail to explore, adding letterboxing or geocaching, singing songs, or playing walking games. If your kids have pedometers or other activity trackers, don't forget to bring them along for some pedometer activities.

Play some old-fashioned backyard games: Anything from Red Rover to catch, croquet to statues, ladder ball or dodgeball. List them separately in your jar, or make entries like "family game tournament—kids pick first game" or "play 3 kinds of tag." Gather some friends or neighbors for a kickball game, or try nighttime flashlight games. Or pick from this huge list of quick brain-break games.

Spruce up your wheeled toys after a winter in storage and take them for a spin: Inline skates, skateboards, scooters, bicycles, tricycles, wagons, jogging strollers, or a combination of all of these! Or hit your local roller rink for public skating hours.

Spring is all about melting snow and April showers, so add ways to play in and on the water to your activity jar. You could rent a canoe, kayak, rowboat, or paddleboat or go fishing. You could take a walk in the rain and splash in the puddles, or find a creek or pond and wade in it or skip stones and float sticks.

If you have the equipment to do this at home, great! If not, look for places in your community where you can play table tennis, badminton, volleyball, or tennis. Never played before? Learn together!

Take advantage of spring weather by playing pickup basketball outside, trying some soccer-inspired games together, playing golf (regular, mini, or driving range), or smacking some line drives at the batting cages.

Take advantage of those spring breezes to fly a kite or play some of these beach ball and balloon games. Or take things up high by visiting a ropes course, zipline, or trampoline park!

Okay, so it's not all fun and games. But taking on some springtime chores together can make them more fun. You can even add an element of competition: Who can find the strangest treasure in the yard after the snow melts? Who is the champion window-washer or stick-picker-upper? Can you take on a big project like painting a room or planting a garden?

No need for pricey new toys. Just use these simple objects that you probably already have for tons of fun games and activities:

• Hula hoops
• Jump ropes
• Pool noodles (no pool necessary)
• Sidewalk chalk
• Cardboard boxes

Or, if you have a dog, make it a project to teach him a new trick!

Celebrate the new fruits and vegetables of spring: Find out what's in season in your area, then have a taste test or recipe contest. Bon appetit!