CELEBRATE SPRING

CELEBRATE SPRING WITH THESE 3 ECO-IDEAS.   

By LYNN COLWELL AND COREY COLWELL-LIPSON.   

Here are five eco-friendly ways to dump the winter blahs and celebrate spring.

Why are they eco-friendly?

• They don’t require buying
• They produce no waste
• They have no impact on the Earth

1. Plan an afternoon outside

• Hunt for signs of spring. See who can find the most.
• Take a book about trees and identify as many as you can. Take a sketch book and let everyone draw the different trees
• Making bark rubbings using crayons
• Collect rocks to use for crafting
• Play tag games
• Build a shelter from things you have lying around
• Create an obstacle course from natural materials, for example, rocks and branches

2. Create!

• Look around your house and gather materials that you can use to make spring collages. Papers of all kinds of course, costume jewellery, even nuts and bolts. Give everyone a piece of cardboard, then glue the items on to make flowers or other spring images.
• Make bird houses from cardboard or scrap wood. The former can be hung outside in protected areas or kept inside as a reminder of spring.
• Hand make a book featuring quotes about spring.
• Make up a play, song, puppet show or skit with a spring theme.
• Paint or wrap paper around cans that you can fill with flowers or blooming branches when the time is right
• Make flower pins using felt you can easily make from old wool sweaters

3. Go a little crazy! (You’ve just been through a long winter, it’s OK!)

• Eat breakfast under the dining table
• Stage a backwards dinner (insist that no one will get their broccoli unless they eat their dessert)
• Make faces with your food
• Make flour finger paints then “finger paint” with your feet!
• Exchange roles for a meal. Put everyone’s name on a piece of paper (remember to recycle). Each person chooses. Whomever they get, they assume that role during dinner.
• No matter your age, try standing on your head (with help and against a wall still counts)
• Put on some spring-like music and dance ‘til you drop

About the Authors
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, available at www.CelebrateGreen.net