April blew in on the shoulders of that March lion, the one who seemed to linger longer than the month of its designation. Seems like we’ve gone from winter to spring to summer, then back to winter with a jump into summer and then back to spring again.
National Walking Day and Nature Day – Celebrate these two April holidays with time spent together outside on a leisure stroll through nature. Look for buds and new leaves popping out on trees, blossoms on shrubs and plants, new grass growth, squirrels scampering here and there, birds flitting from tree to tree, Canada geese paired up for the arrival of goslings, toads and frogs searching for a bit of dampness anywhere, and unfortunately a South Georgia gnat or two. Enjoy the beauty of God’s creations and count your steps as you go! And, to give the gift of outdoor time to someone else, consider taking a family field trip to a shoe store to purchase new walking shoes to donate to someone in need. Ask around for the most-needed sizes of kids’ shoes at your church resource closet and purchase shoes in those sizes.
Be Kind to Spiders Week – Speaking of nature and God’s creations, pick another day this month to go on a spider search. Look around, high and low, on a walk outdoors and see how many spider webs you can spot. Look closely – but don’t touch – and see if there’s a spider inhabiting the web. Be kind and leave the spider web alone so it can do its job and catch dinner or protect the eight-legged critter from the elements. Read some of these books throughout the month, too: The Backyard Bug Book for Kids by Lauren Davidson, The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle, Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider by Jessica Lanan, National Geographic Kids: Spiders by Laura Marsh, I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton, and Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin.
Draw a Bird Day – Create some fun artwork after spending a morning outside birdwatching. What’s at your bird feeder? Which bird is visiting your birdbath? What feathered friends are lighting on the limbs of backyard trees? Sit outside on a blanket and have some fun drawing the birds you see. Listen for their calls and songs, too. What a wonderful way to spend a spring day together as a family!
Pretzel Sunday – Make a delicious and easy snack to celebrate the day. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then, spread pretzels snaps (the square ones in a checkerboard shape) in rows in a single layer on a baking sheet. Unwrap Hugs (registered trademark) candies, the same number as the pretzels you placed on the baking sheet. Place one candy on top of each pretzel. Bake the candy-topped pretzels for two minutes – do not overbake. Allow the pan to sit for about one or one-and-a-half minutes for the candy to continue melting. Carefully place one M & M (registered trademark) candy piece on top of each melted chocolate piece. Be careful – the candy is warm. This job is probably best for an adult. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about five minutes for the candy to re-harden. Then use a spatula to transfer each piece into a storage container.
Statesboro native Julie Lavender, author of books for parents, families, and kiddos, enjoys the beauty of springtime with her husband, four children, two sons-in-love, and three grandtreasures.