“The spring came suddenly, / bursting upon the world / as a child bursts into a room, / with a laugh and a shout/ and hands full of flowers.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

For so many, this was a long winter.

Some places had snow as recently as last week and it’s almost May. The good news is that the frigid weather is pretty much behind us for the next several months, so it’s finally time to celebrate the magic of springtime.

Here are five fun things to do in the spring:

1. Watch the Lyrid Meteor Shower: The Lyrids peak on Earth Day, but the bright meteor showers will be visible all week, with the best viewing just before dawn. Pick a morning to get up early, bundle up if it’s still a little chilly, bring a thermos of coffee and cuddle up with someone you love to watch the light show. Be sure to make a lot of wishes.

2. Start Seedlings: Writer Margaret Atwood says that “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” I couldn’t agree more. Spring means it’s time to garden again so get planting! Prepare your beds outside, start your seedlings inside, pore over seed catalogs and plot out all the wonderful ways in which your garden will grow. Apartment dwellers can still get in on the action. Plant in pots on balconies and windowsills or look into a plot at a community garden.

3. Take a Hike: Spring is the perfect time for hiking. It’s still cool, the bugs aren’t out in full force yet and the forests aren’t yet overgrown with brambles and poison ivy. If it’s muddy, wear boots and have fun squelching along. Take time to splash in puddles. Forage for morel mushrooms if you’re lucky enough to live in an area where they grow. Look for bluebirds and robins. Breathe in the crisp air and be thankful for this beautiful world.

4. Go Fly a Kite: Until this weekend, I had never flown a kite. I always imagined kite flying to be difficult, but it’s surprisingly simple in the right conditions (which are plentiful this time of year). Buy an inexpensive kite to get started (mine cost all of three dollars, seriously) watch this video and read these instructions on how to do it, find a beach or a field and discover the quiet, peaceful joy of watching the kite bob on the breeze above you. When you try it, you’ll understand. There is something truly magical in a kite’s lift and flutter. Your soul will instantly relax.

5. Make a Spring Meal: Open the windows, set the table with tulips and throw a little party because fresh produce is back! Cook a delicious meal with the seasonal bounty: asparagus, farm-fresh eggs, strawberries, peas and mint, watercress, rhubarb and apricots.

Spring is such a wonderful time of year. Get outside and connect with nature, let the sun warm your skin again and the wind twirl your hair. Take walks, ride bikes, fill your home with forsythia branches and sweet lilacs in Mason jars.

Find a farm and watch the lambs frolic (but don’t eat them!) and remember that this is the season of rebirth and creation, not just for the earth but for us as well.

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Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Suta Wijaya at Pixoto