March tromped onto the calendar with higher than normal temps, but tiptoed in on lamb’s hooves with barely a stirring breeze. Does that mean it will roar out of here like the fierce winds of a lion? Whatever the crazy weather does here in the Boro, be prepared to make warm, wild memories with those you love before the month blows out of here. Celebrate every day with the family and incorporate some of these wacky, but real, festivities, too.
➤ American Crossword Puzzle Days — When’s the last time you tackled a crossword puzzle with the six letter word for kinfolk? Buy a crossword puzzle book and work on a puzzle each night for the whole month of March. You can do this a number of ways. For example, set aside some time at dinner to answer a few spots or gather in the den just before bedtime to show your brilliance with answered clues. Or, leave the puzzle book on the table, open to a particular puzzle, and encourage the family to fill in answers throughout the day.
Then check the answers together after dinner instead of practicing screen time and fill in a few more answers as a family unit. Share the four letter word for extreme fondness, intense emotion, strong affection of family members with fun puzzle solving this month.
➤ Daylight Savings Day — Celebrate an extra hour of daylight at the end of the day with a long, early-evening walk. Then, when you get back home, have an ice cream or cookie treat while reading a few books before bedtime. Check out some of these for fun: "We’re Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury; "Blueberries for Sal" by Robert McCloskey; "The Bear Scouts" by Stan and Jan Berenstain; "Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire!" by Jane O’Connor; "The Hike" by Alison Farrell; and "The Listening Walk" by Paul Showers.
➤ National Peanut Cluster — Gather in the kitchen and make a sweet treat for today’s festivity. Melt 12 ounces of chocolate almond bark. Cover a large baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside. Stir in cocktail peanuts, 1/2 cup at a time until desired family preference. Spoon clusters of chocolate covered peanuts onto the waxed paper. Immediately press two or three M & M candies on the top of each cluster. When the chocolate hardens, melt one square of white chocolate almond bark. Use a fork dipped in the chocolate to drizzle a white chocolate design on top of each cluster.
➤ National Cheerleading Week — Celebrate those who take pride in cheering on their favorite team with a bit of family pride. Watch a favorite sporting event together in person or on a screen, then create an active family cheer. Try one like this and incorporate related motions: “1-2-3-4 Dance around the family floor. 5-6-7-8 Cheer because our family’s great!” Make up other cheers about the family and add active movements to go along with each cheer.
➤ Fill Our Staplers Day — Make sure the stapler is filled to the top and make a fun craft to welcome the promise of springtime this month. Let each person color or paint a small, snack-sized paper plate. Cut flower petals from construction paper and use the stapler to attach each petal around the paper plate. Cut a stem from green construction paper and staple it in place. Use the completed flowers for a table decoration or hang around the home in anticipation of spring’s arrival.
The old saying goes like this: “If March comes in like a lamb, it will go out like a lion.” Whether the winds are calm or blustery this month, make sure to turn every day into a family adventure, with big memories and little ones, too. Celebrate outside, celebrate inside. Make each day a festive one to remember. Until next month …
Statesboro native Julie Bland Lavender loves encouraging families to make memories filled with love and fun. She is the author of "365 Ways to Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments into Lasting Memories" and "Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime."