Spring is here and it is time to bring out the galoshes and raincoats as rain will fall in the month famous for its puddles and mud. Nothing can be as much fun to a child as playing outside on a rainy day and we have some great ideas to make April shower fun a big splash with you and the kids.

1. In all things outdoors good equipment is a must and for rainy day play it is no exception; galoshes, raincoats, umbrellas help keep little ones high and dry and ready for some good, messy fun.

2. A bucket and shovel are great for digging in the mud and for making mud soup and mud pies. You can get out your sand box toys and let the kids make shapes out of the mud just as they would with sand and using the sand sifter with mud is a wonderful way for kids to find worms and other garden treasures that are hiding in the soil. Always make sure that kids are gentle with the critters that they find, it is very important that they learn to respect even the most humble inhabitants of the great outdoors.

3. The rainy season is a great opportunity to talk about the importance of water to our planet
and explain how we must preserve our water supply so that we have enough to share with everybody all over the world. Kids are very visual so the connection between rainfall and water coming out of a tap is a great way to fill in the dots for them about where water comes from.

4. Put a rain barrel in your garden and use the water that you collect for watering the garden.
Kids love to see things grow over time and it is an excellent way to really bring home the idea of water conservation and re-cycling. You could make a child sized version of a rain barrel and let them be the custodian of their water supply; do place some mesh over the top of the container so that bugs and critters cannot fall in to it.

5. Let the kids take stones and pebbles and make a water channel, it is great fun to watch water taking a journey somewhere and a before they know it they will have their very own Nile river in their backyard.

So don’t let April showers get you down, have a rainy day play date and before you know it you and the kids will be singing in the rain.

January-February is not always everybody’s favorite month it heralds the end of the holiday season and for many kids it means back to school; for those children living in colder parts of the world it is also a month when you can spend a lot of time in the great indoors. Bringing the outdoors inside is one way to combat the winter blues, reminding kids that spring will be here soon will put a smile on those little faces. Using arts and crafts you can help kids make an indoor garden that will makes them smile.

1. The first step is to gather the supplies that you will need: Paper, glue, crayons, markers, paint, colored pencils, craft sticks or popsicle sticks, miniature pots, play dough, kid scissors.
2. Let the kids draw the outline of their favorite flower at least two inches big and two leaves as well and then have them color them in any way that they like with markers, paint or crayons.
3. Cut out the flowers and leaves and then glue them on to the craft sticks which will be the stem of their flower.
4. Put some play dough in the base of the mini pots and secure the craft stick in the play dough. The kids could put some Spanish moss in the pot or some green tissue paper and their flower will be finished.
5. Make one flower or a lot of flowers and put them on a tray or on a windowsill for the perfect indoor garden.

Make the sun shine and little hearts soar with an indoor garden that makes spring seem as if it’s just around the corner.

When January arrives and the excitement of the holidays are over kids can feel restless as winter settles itself down for the next few months.  In some parts of the world snow covers gardens and prohibits a lot of outdoor play but that does not mean that little gardeners cannot do some activities that will keep them connected to the great outdoors.

Watching birds is a great way to make the most of the winter months and see wildlife from close up. Encouraging birds to visit their garden is something that kids and grownups can work on together and what could be more fun than making food for the birds.  Pine cones and peanut butter dipped in wild bird seed are a wonderful way to feed the birds. Suet smeared on pinecones is another favorite bird treat.  Stringing popcorn together and making a bird food garland that can be strung up outdoors is another fabulous idea that kids will love to make and birds will love to eat.

If it’s too chilly to step outdoors then why not make a winter garden indoors, bringing the outside inside is one of the best ways to keep little hands busy and help tots imaginations grow. Cut out pictures of flowers from magazines, old books and seed packets and glue them on to popsicle sticks.  Display the homemade flowers in pots; secure them by inserting the popsicle sticks into play dough or floral oasis and cover the top of the pot with Spanish moss for a natural effect.

Indoor fun with an outdoor theme keeps little gardeners busy when the snow flies and waiting for spring to arrive will be nothing but fun; so roll on winter.