33 Spring Family Adventure Ideas

I’ll never forget the first time we took our children fishing. My husband was teaching my oldest how to cast a line. All of a sudden I heard a splash and realized I could no longer see our son. I had a baby strapped to me and screamed his name. In a matter of seconds, I watched him disappear into the water and nearly drown as my husband went in after him. Our first fishing trip had traumatized me, and I was ready to pack it up and go home. But I listened to my wise husband instead who suggested we go to a more shallow area and try again.

After purchasing a new fishing pole, we lost the first one in the lake, my son caught his very first fish followed by 5 more bluegill. We were all beaming ear to ear with pride. We almost let the disastrous morning dictate our ruined family adventure but we knew the value in perseverance in learning a new skill and doing hard things together. Fishing was one of many activities my children had added to their spring bucket list that year. However, after that event, I felt it was no longer appropriate to use such a morbid term. Instead, I’ve coined it Our Family Adventure List.

I try to refresh Our Family Adventure List as the seasons and interests of our family change. I’ve included 33 Things to do with your family this Spring to give you a starting point in creating your own Family Adventure List. Several of these are completely free or very low cost.

You can find kids’ fishing poles at Walmart and all the fishing gear you need at fun outdoor stores like Bass Pro and Cabela’s. Always start small and make sure your children have a life jacket if you’ll be fishing in deep water. This is such a fun and rewarding skill to master as a family especially when you catch and prepare your own dinner. Again…just don’t forget the life jackets. Lesson learned.

Or frequent an old one. Most of these are free to attend although if you are like me you may want to bring extra cash. I’m a sucker for local, handmade goods. This is also a great way to shop seasonal, healthy produce to feed your family or introduce new foods to picky eaters.

Unless you are traveling to a state park or national forest, most trails are free. Enjoy fresh air, vitamin D, and all the beautiful colors spring brings. Download the app All Trails to find a trail near you in addition to hiking difficulty level. This app is great if you have handicapped or young children in tow. You can also save the trail map so that you don’t get lost once you’re there. Trust me on this. You want to save the map to your phone.

Depending on where you live will depend on what’s in season. We live in northern Alabama so April is strawberry season for us. Pick some for eating now and store the rest in the freezer for smoothies, strawberry jam, pie, shortcake, etc. Is your mouth watering yet?

With Mother’s Day around the corner, pick some fresh flowers together to adorn your table or gift to the special mothers in your life. We have a lovely tulip farm where we live. Hop on Google or Facebook to see if you have any U-pick flower farms near you.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea and head out to your local greenhouse or nursery. Enjoy all the spring colors and seasonal plants. Make it educational and learn about what you see or simply just observe beautiful things together.

Few things in life are more rewarding than growing and harvesting your own produce. Not ready to commit to a garden? Try planting a few flowers or herbs in a pot. Our favorite herbs are cilantro, green onion, basil and oregano. Many life lessons can be taught through gardening and caring for plants.

Grab your biggest blanket, pack an easy lunch, and hit the road to a scenic spot OR just your backyard. Sometimes food just tastes better eaten together outside in the sun.

Any birds. Head to your local pond to witness baby ducks and feed the mamas. Or buy an inexpensive bird feeder like this one to attract local birds right up to your window. We like to make hummingbird nectar and watch the beautiful hummingbirds arrive starting in late spring. We use a 4:1 ratio of sugar and water and they keep coming back every year. If you are feeling super crafty, you can even make your own bird feeders like these on Pinterest.

It may not be warm enough to swim where you live but in Alabama, it’s basically summer from late April til the beginning of November. Take a trip down to the beach, the lake, the creek, or a local swimming hole. Remember making memories together doesn’t have to be expensive.

April showers bring May flowers, and also plenty of opportunities to get caught in the rain. I know some of you might be cringing at the thought of muddy children but what if you just commit to one time? Just one morning or afternoon spent listening to the pitter-patter, splash in puddles, and dance with reckless abandon. Yes, you WILL have extra laundry BUT just think of the joy and fun ALL of you will have together. Then you can dry off and cuddle up together with a great read-aloud, audiobook, or a calm spring movie like Winnie-the-Pooh.

This can get a little pricey once you start going down the rabbit hole of all the camping gear so start small. If you’ve never camped before, ask a friend if you can borrow their tent and try it out in your backyard before booking a campsite, especially if you have little ones. Facebook marketplace is another place to search for camping tents. Not ready to rough it completely? You can find primitive log cabins or fancy glamping yurts on Airbnb and VRBO. You will be sure to find some fun and creative options to fit almost every budget.

Here is a pre-made printable spring scavenger hunt or you can get creative and come up with your own. Put the list in a plastic sleeve like this one and grab a dry-erase marker to use again and again. I like to keep clipboards in stock so my children have something sturdy to write on when we are out and about. You can buy them in bulk here.

I don’t care how old you are bubbles can be enjoyed at any age. This year I stocked up on bubble solution and each of the kiddos got new bubble accessories in their Easter baskets. This set creates some serious bubble magic when my children create a backyard bubble land that we named Bubblonia!

Watch the weather and prepare your kites for a perfect windy day in an open field or your backyard if you have enough open space. We’ve purchased cheap kites at the dollar store and pricier ones on Amazon. Honestly, we haven’t noticed much of a difference other than longevity. They both serve the same purpose. You may even find a local kite festival near you.

Spring is a great time to ride bikes together as a family or teach your little one to ride for the very first time. I have to giggle a little as I write this because I never learned to ride a bike but last spring my husband taught both of our sons how to ride. The joy on their little faces is forever etched in my memory making me want to learn to ride with them now more than ever.

I’m a bit of a tea connoisseur and enjoy afternoon tea on the daily so to me every season is appropriate for tea parties. My daughter loves this wooden tea set. If I could, I’d purchase multiple tea sets. They are just so cute! I found some adorable crocheted cookies on Etsy to pair beautifully. You can get them here. Get all dressed up for a fancy high tea or keep it simple. You are only limited by your imagination. If you find yourself in the North Alabama area, I highly recommend stopping by this tea house for afternoon tea with friends and family.

Speaking of tea and cookies, spring is a wonderful season to try out a scrumptious new recipe. Think scones, muffins, cupcakes, cookies. Nearly any pastry pairs well with tea. This lemon scone recipe is a huge hit in our home. It’s a tangy taste of sweetness and spring.

My children love to lay out on the back patio or driveway and trace each others entire bodies. It may look like a colorful crime scene, but I love watching them laugh and draw to their heart’s content.

Don’t feel like getting your hands dirty with chalk? You can do all sorts of artwork together from youngest to oldest. For little ones, let them paint rocks in the backyard or “paint the house”! I simply gave my toddlers a small craft rolling brush and a tray of water to “paint the house” with water only. It’s a mess- free fun outdoor activity. If your children are old enough, a paint-by-numbers book is an excellent choice. We also love this series… Watercolor with me. Don’t forget that painting is not just for the kiddos but for mom or dad too. Slow down and feel your muscles relax as you pick up the brush.

If you have a butterfly conservatory or a botanical garden near you, I highly recommend both. If not, they can still be observed in the comfort of your back yard especially if you have a garden or fresh flowers. The baby butterflies love violets if you have some growing. Grab a journal or piece of paper and sketch what you see for a brief butterfly nature journal entry.

Pollen has left our car in a constant state of yellow. Have your kids help you with the chore of giving the car a good washing. It may not get quite as clean as the actual car wash but you’ll save money and spend time together doing it.

Zip over to a zoo near you or frolic on a farm. Baby animals are always a thrill to see and oh so cute! Spring is a great time to see them up close.

Blankets sprawled out in the living room or cardboard covering the patio. Let your children get creative. This is one of those opportunities that you truly wonder why you even have toys. Simple things like cardboard, tape, and a vivid imagination are all you need. Bonus if you let your kiddos eat that special something you baked together in the fort!

I grew up in a very musical family and spring concert season is in the air. Whether it’s an amateur performance group like a high school or university or a professional one, spring is a great time to listen to live music. If you have a professional orchestra in your city, check to see if they have a POPs series for spring. Pops performances include popular or more recent music, show tunes, and sometimes well-known classical works too. Our orchestra will be doing a special Star Wars performance for May the 4th. I have some very excited younglings that are ready for it!

While most schools are still in session, steal away for a few hours to a park or playground. It’s one of the many perks of homeschooling. In a few months, you won’t have it all to yourselves anymore which is okay. If you are an introverted Mom like me though, you’ll want to take advantage of this while the weather is still nice.

Linger at the library or browse a bookstore. As homeschoolers, going to the library is a weekly routine of ours. You may have multiple library locations in your area. Why not check out a different location and flip through the pages of a new book for yourself or the kids? While you can’t beat free, going to a bookstore used or new is also one of our favorite things to do in any season. We firmly believe you can never have enough books because books are treasures. You simply need more shelves.

Grab your newfound book treasures and have what we call QRT outside on a sunny day. QRT is a term from Sarah Mackenzie, Read Aloud Revival guru, which means Quiet Reading Time. Read aloud to your children or put on an audiobook as you take in the sunshine. If your children are older readers, enjoy individual QRT along with them outdoors. The dishes will still be there when you get done. Set a timer if you need to but Mama needs to read too.

It could be that I’m getting older, but I truly enjoy watching birds. What’s even better is that my children enjoy it too. I find that observing these little creatures helps us wonder and marvel at God’s creation. Merlin is a wonderful app for identifying birds by sound or by appearance. We purchased these binoculars for stockings last Christmas and our children love them! We are also enjoying these pocket microscopes for all the feathers and rocks we find.

Many people worry about socialization for homeschoolers. We are blessed to have a loving community of homeschoolers that meets once a week. We’ve found our tribe. But if you or your children are looking for friends or want to connect on a deeper level, make the first move. Host a playdate for Mom and kiddos. Sip on coffee, have interrupted conversation (that’s just how it goes), and slowly start building the community you’ve been looking for one playdate at a time.

As the sun stays around a little longer, we ever so slowly start letting our children stay up a bit later the closer we get to summer. As I write this it’s only mid-April and we’ve already taken in some breathtaking sunsets from our backyard. Enjoy an evening walk or set your sights on the sunset sipping some iced tea from the back porch.

I don’t get to do this as much as I’d like as it’s a very time-consuming hobby, but I sure do enjoy treasure hunting at thrift stores, used bookstores, or antique shops. I’m a bit of a basket hoarder and love storing homeschooling items in beautiful baskets. My general rule of thumb is that I do not allow myself to enter a thrift store without first donating a box or two. If an item comes into the house, an item must leave first.

I know, I know. This one doesn’t sound fun, and I’m almost positive your children may not enjoy it either…at least not at first BUT it’s one of those tasks that must be done. Think of it as a blessing rather than a chore. Your children bless you by helping and you bless the entire family by providing a clean and tidy home. I won’t go into all the science here but research shows that women are more affected by clutter and mess than men. It stresses us out and raises cortisol. Grab a trash bag, and a donate box or two, throw on some fun dance music, and set a timer. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish in just 20-30 min. Do this for a few days or weeks until it becomes a rhythm and notice how the atmosphere in your home changes. I promise you won’t regret it!

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Happy Homeschooling!