It is the first day of spring, a day I always look forward to. Today is perfect with true-blue Australian skies and only the slightest of breezes. The sun invites us all to get outside to celebrate the end of winter. Here are a few ideas to help children welcome in the spring.

• Pick some wattle and put some in a vase and press some between the pages of the telephone directory. September 1^st is Wattle Day
• Collect as many different kinds of wattle as you can and look at their leaves and the size and shape of the yellow balls
• Visit a nursery and buy some plants for spring
• Walk around the neighbourhood and look at the blossoms and gardens and take some photos of flowers
• Examine trees to see how the buds are forming. How many trees have their leaves already?
• Paint wattle and blossom pictures or make collage pictures or draw flowers
• Collect some sprigs of willow - always the first trees to come into leaf
• Sit quietly under gum trees and listen for birds. How many different birdsongs can you hear?
• Read some books about spring

Where I live, the grass is still brown, but as soon as the rain comes, the landscape will be transformed into green within a few days. Spring is always like a miracle to me. Happy springtime everyone.

Tags: climate, outdoor activities, play