Ahh, Spring! That wonderful time of year between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice when everything is warmer, colorful and new again. With Winter now behind us, it’s time to celebrate. Check out our 12 fun ideas to welcome spring and get this party started.
Games
1) Frog Flop – You will need two green bean bags for each team and one bean bag of any other color for the game. You can sew on eyes or decorate them with a marker to make them look like a frog and to differentiate for each team. The first team tosses out the colored bean bag. The object of the game is to get your team’s green bean bags as close to the colored bean bag as possible. One point is given to the closest frog. The game continues to 15 points.
2) DIY Spring Bingo – This is both an activity and a game. Players are given blank bingo cards (check Etsy or make your own) and spring stickers. Players can place the stickers in any square on the bingo sheet. When they are done, play the game as normal, calling out the objects found on the stickers.
3) Spring Hedbanz – Write spring words like butterfly, tulip and umbrella on separate index cards. Pass out an elastic headband to each player and have them sit in a circle. Players are given a card, but they may not look at it. Instead, they wear it on their forehead, held in place with the headband, with the word facing out. Players ask and answer yes and no questions to guess what word is on their card.
4) Pick from the Garden – Place suckers (like dum dum pops) in a terracotta pot filled with moss or shredded green paper over a floral brick. The sucker sticks are marked with different colored ink. The game can be played as a match game (with a prize given) or as a task game. For a task game, each color sucker stick represents a task category such as singing, drawing or even spelling.
Activities
1) Tic Tac Toe – Gather medium-sized river stones and let the kids paint them to look like ladybugs and bees. While they are drying, you can make a board on the back of a small cinch bag with colored tape or markers. When the stones are dry, they can be stored inside the bag so they are ready to play when you are.
2) Jelly Bean Towers – Pick up jelly beans and toothpicks at the store. Place kids in groups and have them construct a tower. When they are finished, give the kids ballots to vote for best in several categories. Give prizes for the highest, strongest, and most unique designs.
3) Crystal Rainbows – You will need glass jars, multicolor pipe cleaners, Borax, hot water and dowel rods. Wrap the top part of several pipe cleaners around a dowel rod that will lay flat across the opening of the jar. Mix 3 tablespoons of Borax in a cup of boiling water. Pour mixture into jars and insert pipe cleaners into the jar. Crystals will start forming overnight. Remove when covered in crystals and let dry.
Crafts
1) It’s for The Birds – Oriental Trading offers unfinished birdhouses and bird feeders on their website. Gather decorating options such as paint, glitter, jewels, ribbons and whatever other items you think will attract the birds. Let dry and hang from a tree near the window.
2) Make a Kite – A windy spring day is a wonderful time to make a kite. You can use craft store dowel rods or collect small branches that have fallen from trees for the cross bars. For the sail of the kite, try newspaper, wrapping paper or plastic garbage bags. Using plain craft paper allows for decorating with a personal touch. Attach string to the front of the kite and take it for a ride.
3) Make Fairy Houses or Castles – Collect empty paper towel rolls for the base. Fashion a pointed roof with construction paper, pine cones or twigs and decorate the cardboard roll with markers, colored tissue paper, wallpaper samples or felt. You can also cut out a door or windows. Create a village by securing to a poster board and add roads, greenery, and a small brook made from foil or watercolor paint.
4) Welcome Spring Door Hanging – For this craft, your only limit is your imagination. Use a base such as wood, felt, a straw hat, a wreath or even an old umbrella. Add craft moss, ribbons, artificial flowers, yarn, paint, burlap, etc. Personalize it with a saying, monogram or your favorite spring animal.
Pam Molnar is a freelance writer and mother of three. She loves to plan parties and watch the joy it brings the guests. Follow her on Etsy at Pam’s Party Printables.