Garden Marking Fun
We love these colorful garden markers featured on Imagine Childhood! Using well-known street signs and a color-coded system as inspiration for each veggie, these neat markers are yet another easy way to get your kids involved in the garden -- and you'll only need a handful of craft supplies to make them!
Be sure to check out the site for the full scoop (and fantastic photography) on this neat spring project. We love the "lettuce" XING sign -- too cool!
Go Fly a Kite!
Maya*Made offers up an excellent tutorial for making a homemade kite and this is certainly one spring activity that makes us wish we could be kids all over again!
Simply made using items found around the house such as string, paper, skewers, and a grocery bag for the tail, Maya explains that this project can literally be finished in ten minutes -- though it provides plenty of hours for outdoor fun. Overall, a fun way to enjoy those spring winds after all, we're sure your child will absolutely love seeing their own DIY kite take flight!
Painting the Pollock Way
Got a budding artist at home who just LOVES to splash paint? (Us too!) Consider setting up a Jackson Pollock-themed art project in the backyard, like this one shown on Good + Happy Day. We love seeing all of the beautiful colors mixed together and to be quite honest, it's hard to have a bad time when you're making a messy yet colorful masterpiece!
Certainly abstract expressionism at its finest, we agree with Patricia in saying that a quick trip to the bathtub may be needed after the paintings are finished -- though that's just a part of all of the splatter fun!
Flower Freezing Fun
Wondering what to do with that extra lemon balm or rosemary in the garden? Check out this fantastic idea from the Seattle blog Kid Haus for making ice cubes with edible flowers and herbs!
Mama Michelle explains that she and her daughter froze various herbs and flowers into ice cubes trays with fun shapes and then drank the cubes with a delicious batch of homemade lemonade (yum!). Certainly one "cool" idea that even the adults are sure to enjoy -- plus, it's a great way to take advantage of your backyard's delicious edibles!
Marvelous Mud Pies
Feeling hungry for something savory? Though there's nothing quite more timeless than creating mud pies, Rhythm of the Home takes the idea to the next level by creating an entire mud pie kitchen for kids.
Featuring old pots and pans, a bin for washing, muffin tins for "baking," and even a kitchen table tree stump, this is one of those activities that will have all the neighborhood kids clamoring to come over for some spring-time cookin'. You're sure to have a super fun and messy spring cooking party that your little ones will never forget! Check out the site for all the details on what to include in your own outdoor kitchen and for beautiful photos of the pint-sized sous-chefs hard at work.
Tasty Worm Treats
For the kids that are hungry for actual food, we love this idea for whipping up a dirt dessert -- compliments of No Time for Flash Cards!
Made using gummy worms, Jell-O, rock candies, chocolate pudding and Oreos, this is certainly one worm-filled dirty dish that will leave everyone smiling after a day of digging in the garden. Check out the rest of the post for the full recipe, a fun worm-esque song, and recommendations for children's books that have neat gardening-themed stories.
Chihuly-Inspired Recyclable Fun
Laugh, Paint, Create! demonstrates this fantastic idea for making Chihuly-inspired art with kids -- and we must admit, the pieces actually look like his well-known glass work!
Simply made using plastic cups and acrylic paint, creative mom Erin shows off just how you can do all sorts of things with the cups after they are painted -- cut them into swirls for mobiles, build sculptures, make them look like sweet spring flowers, and much more.
Bubble Up!
You're most likely going to be blowing plenty of bubbles this spring, so why not make your own solution? Sparkle Power! offers up a quick DIY recipe for making homemade bubbles with water, dish soap, and glycerin (found in the pharmacy).
Crafty mama Candace explains how she was able to find some inexpensive bubble wands in the Target dollar section and that this homemade solution seems to work better the day after it's been made. (Only gets better with age? We love the sound of that!)
Standing Tall
So much for only playing telephone -- put those leftover cans to good use and walk tall this spring with homemade can stilts, like this cool DIY pair featured on Zakka Life!
Crafty mama Jessica recommends using larger cans for sturdiness, but she admits that small cans (as shown) worked just as well, though they might be a bit more challenging. Regardless, this is one homemade upcycled toy that is sure to encourage plenty of warm-weather backyard clomping -- and get plenty of love from your little one throughout the season.
Happy Egg Planters
We love 4 Crazy Kings' idea for making homemade egg head planters! So simple and yet, a great "edutainment" project for the little ones this spring. Mama King explains that they received egg head kits from their local arboretum (which may be available in your area), but this is one scientific fun project that could also be easily accomplished on your own.
Simply fill an eggshell with dirt and seeds and watch as your egg-cellent new, Chia Pet-esque friend grows a full head of hair throughout the upcoming weeks. And though they used markers to decorate their egg heads, we think that paint, stickers or googly eyes could also be great for bedazzling these eco-friendly planters.
Hoopin' it Up
We'll totally admit it -- we have an adult-sized homemade hula hoop that gets plenty of love from everyone who visits, which is why we couldn't resist including Pepper Paints' tutorial on making homemade hula hoops for kids.
Not only are homemade hula hoops easy to make, they're a great source of exercise for kids (and adults!) and they last for years (we've had ours for a decade now!). Check out Pepper Paints for the full scoop on all of the supplies that you'll need to get hoopin'... and don't forget to purchase some colorful electrical tape for decorating!
Super Rainbow Sidewalks
We could not agree more with Pink and Green Mama when she says, "If I had known about this as a kid, my parents would have had the most colorful driveway in the neighborhood!" (Seriously, though.) Regardless, who knew it was so easy to make this beautiful sidewalk paint in all colors of the rainbow -- by simply using cornstarch, food coloring, and water?
Check out the rest of her post for full measurements and tips on making your own colorful pastes. And really, sidewalks don't have to be gray all of the time!
Spinning Through the Life Cycles
Let's Explore features this fun spring activity for learning about plant and animal life cycles -- including sunflowers and green snakes as shown in the photo on the left.
Simply have your child mark one plate with four quarters that each portray a section of the plant or animal's life cycle, and then cut a wedge shape into a second plate and attach it with a brad for spinning. Easy! And if you've got older children, Mama Amy recommends adding more than four cycles to keep it interesting.
Lanterns in Full Bloom
We love this idea for taking a plain Mason jar and turning it into a beautiful spring lantern, like these gorgeous DIY jars featured on We Bloom Here.
A great project for younger children, simply paste some white kite or tissue paper onto a jar or vase with Mod Podge and then attach your desired colorful shapes or decorations. Mama Margaret recommends brushing a final coat of Mod Podge onto the jar to give it a shiny look and to ensure that your spring inspired decorations will stay put for years to come. Overall, a super simple project that will look beautiful on any windowsill or mantle!
Hot Air Balloon Adventures
And yet another spring project that we would have gone bananas for had we known about it while growing up! But really, even as adults, we'd like to make our own hot air balloon and watch it sail high up into the sky, like this one featured on BKids Crafts.
BKids Craft's Mama Helen says that though this project only lasts for an afternoon, it's one that provides hours of entertainment. To make this fantastic air traveler you'll need: a helium balloon, a netted bag, ribbons, a basket and if wanted -- a toy to take for a ride through the sky.
