26 Easy, Low-Prep Activities To Do This Spring

Spring is the perfect time to plan low-key, fun activities for your family while staying local or even staying home! Now that the weather is thawing out in most places and the random cold snaps are few and far between, you can start thinking about what to do in the next couple of months before summer and all the schedule changes that come with the end of school.

Could you use some ideas for easy, low-prep things to do at home or around town? Read on! All of these activities are low prep and require few to no supplies. And don’t miss my free download at the bottom to help get your spring family plans organized.

Easy Indoor Spring Activities (To Do at Home)

1. Put together a Spring Sensory Bin (click the link for 25 ideas for spring sensory bins). Put together a sensory bin at the start of a month or a season and pull it out when you need a minute during the week or on a weekend.
2. Dye Easter Eggs (here’s a post with a bunch of cute and inexpensive dye kits)
3. Use Q-Tips and pastel paints to paint flowers. You can unroll butcher paper or draw outlines on printer paper as a template. Then use q-tips to keep from having to get out water and make a bigger mess.
4. Make homemade playdough (or buy a pre-made homemade playdough sensory kit)
5. Make a recipe with spring veggies that your kids can help with. I love this set of knives on Amazon for my 6 year old to help chop veggies. Throw together a cucumber, tomato, and basil salad as a basic starter.
6. Color spring coloring pages. Never underestimate the calm and joy that comes from coloring pages.
7. Have a read-in. Setup a blanket on the floor with snacks and books and make it a special event. Read spring or Easter-themed books, or just read books you haven’t read in a while.
8. Make Mother’s Day Cards. Set out craft supplies and have your kids make Mother’s Day cards for grandparents, nannies, and friends.
9. Make a spring bucket list. Or print my template below and use that one. Making a bucket list is a great activity itself, and it gets everyone excited for the activities you have coming up.

Easy Outdoor Spring Activities (To Do at Home)

1. Paint flowerpots and plant seeds.
2. Use sidewalk chalk to play hopscotch or do chalk stencils.
3. Have dinner outside and call it a picnic. Here’s a hectic weeknight activity for you. Taking dinner outside or eating it somewhere different outside can make it feel special to your little ones. You don’t have to make it complicated.
4. Go for a nature walk. Pick something blossoming or blooming in your area and count how many you see.
5. Play at a water table or in the sprinklers.
6. Have a jump rope (or jumping, for the littlest ones) competition.
7. Play in the dirt.
8. Make and setup popsicle stick bird feeders. These will be fun for the whole season, as your kids will love checking the bird seed and watching for birds. They’ll also love seeing their craft being put to use.
9. Fly kites.

Inexpensive Spring Activities (Out and About Town)

1. Go to a local garden center and pick out a new plant for your kids to take care of.
2. Enjoy a family-friendly local brewery. A lot of breweries are great for families and have games and food available for the kids. Since it’s not too hot out, this is a great time to try a new brewery or go to a favorite.
3. Check the local zoo calendar. Zoos have lots of special days on the calendar each year. Check to see if there is a spring celebration or animal encounters or family days.
4. Go to a new playground or splash pad. Your local parks and recreation website will have lists of parks and splash pads, but maybe you know of one you’ve been meaning to go to. Add it to the calendar!
5. Visit the local library for story time and special events. While you’re there, check out a few books on topics your kids are currently interest in.
6. Go for a bike ride on a nearby paved trail. Some of the trails near us have coffee shops or restaurants not far from certain trailheads. See if you can plan a stop along the way.
7. Spend the morning at a farmer’s market or local craft fair. Whether you spend any money or not, just walking around a market for an hour or two will give you ideas and an escape. Plus, there are usually musicians or activities that the kids will love too.
8. Go to the lake or the beach for the morning. Or, if there’s no lake or beach, find a nature trail and hike a new trail.

Plan Ahead

As I’m sure you’ve realized by now if you’re a regular reader, my biggest tip to feeling successful with your plans is to plan ahead. And with two months of spring ahead of you (because let’s be honest, June might be spring, but it feels more like summer), it might seem like you have time to wing it. But don’t.

Download my Spring Activities planner and go through the lists above. Decide on a few things you will do or might do now, and pencil in a few weekends or weekdays that the plans or activities will work for you. This will give you a headstart.

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