The Vernal Equinox marks the changing season as the earth travels around the sun. It’s one of two days in the year when the Earth’s axis tilts neither away from nor towards the sun, and the sun’s rays shine perpendicular to the equator. Day and night are in perfect balance as the hours of daylight and darkness are (nearly) exactly equal.

Following cold Winter’s low sun the days will finally begin to grow warmer and longer.

As I continue to explore and embrace seasonal living I’m moved to celebrate the start of Spring as it returns to us. It’s time to wake up from our sleepy hibernation and reacquaint ourselves with the joy and beauty of nature as it presents itself in Spring.

Here are a few simple welcoming rituals for you and your littles, to connect with each other and with nature, as the season turns to more light and new life and promise for what is to come.

1. Take a short nature hike, rain or shine, to observe together the seasonal changes. Collect signs of Spring or other interesting finds. Don’t forget to bring a little bucket or tote to carry your goodies home. Display them in a special place or use them to decorate a Naturescape.
2. Create a Spring Naturescape. Use colorful felt, fabric, or tissue paper to create a backdrop and add in any found nature items, pretend animals, bugs, or figures you have on hand—anything that makes you or your kids happy and reminds you of springtime.
3. Watch the sun rise together. With the time change you may be up anyway! Check out Time and Date to find out what time the sun will rise in your neighborhood.
4. Get outside to enjoy the sunshine. Enjoy a meal or snack porch-side to soak up the rays and talk about your hopes and plans for Spring.
5. Dust off your helmets and go for a bike ride.
6. Challenge your kids to an indoor or outdoor color scavenger hunt. They can work alone or as a team, and you can play too.
7. Make colors! Use the primary paint colors blue, red, and yellow to mix secondary colors purple, orange, and green. Use white to play with different tints, and black paint to change the shade.
8. Make natural dyes with your kids from foods and spices in your own pantry or backyard, and use them to dye eggs together. For a little twist you can write words or good wishes on them and let each person in your family choose an egg at random to find out what good Spring will bring.
9. Start your seeds: we saved a mango and avocado seed to sprout in the windowsill. You could start garden seedlings inside, involve your kids in your plans for yard plantings, or pot some plants for the porch.
10. Buy flowers or pick some greenery to bring Spring inside.
11. Wear spring colors to feel cheerful and in the season.
12. Brighten up the yard: paint rocks, sticks, or tree trunks; use colorful chalk on the sidewalks or patio to draw flowers and chicks and other signs of Spring.
13. Make a bird nest basket by filling a produce clamshell tied and hung with string, or suet bird feeder, with loose yarn, thread, hair from a hairbrush, shredded paper, cotton balls, or twine. You can also create little piles in nooks and crannies, or drape them around the yard.

Find the perfect camp designed with your preschooler in mind.  PreK kids can enjoy art, math, dance, theatre and outdoor adventures with these fantastic summer camps in Richmond, VA

Baseball Camp – Flying Squirrels & Jr. FUNNdamentals Camp
The Flying Squirrels offer three baseball camps throughout the 2015 season! Baseball Camps Sessions 1 and 2 are both three-day camps for boys & girls ages 7-14. Session 1 is held on June 23^rd, 24^th, & 25^th. Session 2 is held on August 4^th, 5^th, & 6^th. A Jr. Squirrels FUNNdamentals Camp is held on July 8^th & 9^th for boys & girls ages 4-8. All camps include instruction from current Flying Squirrels players and coaches, lunch each day, and 4 tickets to a Squirrels home game.  Megan Angstadt at 804-359-3866 x325 megan.angstadt@squirrelsbaseball.com

Brilliant Summer at St. Catherine’s
The campus at St. Catherine’s will be transformed into a unique experience for boys and girls from 3 year olds through rising grade 12…and even a little something for adults.

Camp Blue Sky at Rainbow Station
Camp Blue Sky is divided into three divisions according to the ages of our campers. While each division is involved in our traditional day camp program, all of our activities are designed specifically to meet the developmental needs of the campers in each division. Within each division, campers are put into small groups based on age and gender.

Charlottesville Ballet Summer Dance Camps is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit dance school that offers Summer Camps for students ages 3-10 years old and Summer Classes for ages 3-Adult. Camp classes are divided by age (4-6 yrs, 5- yrs, & 7-10yrs), which encourages each child to reach his or her highest potential and really enjoy their experience.

CommuniKids Summer Camp is a wonderful way to introduce your child to a new language or support language acquisition. Our language-Immersion summer camp for ages 2 to 10 combines traditional summer fun with an educational experience.

CORE Kids Academy
This summer kids can flip, fly, swing, roll, and laugh with CORE Kids Academy! Your child will have fun movin’ and groovin’ during fun gymnastics and movement. Camps with lots of movement and fun.

First Baptist Church Preschool
Presenting the 28th annual SUMMER SOLUTION!  Our camp features veteran teaching staff, outdoor playgrounds and an indoor gym facility, representing one of the best values in the area.   For children ages 9 months (by May 26, 2015) through rising kindergarteners.  Please visit our website for more information.

The Goddard School®
The Goddard School’s summer camp curriculum incorporates STEAM learning (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) into exciting, one-of-a-kind and fun experiences for your child every day! We offer a broad range of programs and mini-camps to pique the interest and curiosity of every child.
The founding principle of The Goddard School’s curriculum is that children experience the deepest, most genuine learning when they are having fun. We have integrated this philosophy into every aspect of our summer camp to foster play-based learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom.
We’ve created a variety of camps so your children can find a program they will absolutely love. To discover how Goddard can make this summer your child’s best learning experience yet, call 1-800-GODDARD or visit our website.

Good Shepherd Passport to Summer Fun Camp
A new adventure awaits campers each week as they journey to the Wild West…take an African Safari…play chef for the day…take part in star-spangled parade and more during each themed week! Good Shepherd Child Development Center in Midlothian.

Good Shepherd Episcopal School Summer at Good Shepherd Episcopal School.

Jessica Morgan School of Dance
Summer Dance Camps, Intensive and More! Camp, Ages 3 – 11:Students enrolled in our 4 day dance camps will explore ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and musical theater. The final day of each camp week concludes with an in studio performance at 12:00 pm for parents to enjoy. Summer Performance “Elements”, Ages 6 and up.

Lakeside Presbyterian Preschool Summer Adventure Series
Registration is OPEN. Weekly camps.

Lewis Ginter – Green Adventures Summer Camps
Each week campers explore the Garden to learn more about the plant kingdom and their connection to it. Keepsake crafts, field studies, garden games, and botanical snacks are all part of daily activities. A week-long day camp program for children 4 yrs old – 5th grade. Register by phone at 804.262.9887.

Melody Magic Music Studio
Join us this summer for our Summer of Music! Your children will sing, play, and dance their way through our 2 months of classes! It’s so much fun, they will never realize they are learning and growing along the way! Weekly classes for ages 0-7 years.

Richmond Montessori Enrichment Summer Camp Programs
Camps for toddlers, primary camps, elementary camps, and upper/elementary-middle school camps.

Richmond Waldorf School
Our nature-based, homespun program will excite the imagination with creative explorations in baking, gardening, making music and singing, crafting, tye-dyeing and water play!! We engage in activities to stimulate the head, hands and heart, from crafting beautiful letters to performing simple plays with live music and whimsical costumes.

Romp n’ Roll
The officially-fun, officially-famous Romp n’ Roll Summer Camp will run at all Richmond locations from May 26 through September 4 AND at the Children’s Museum of Richmond Central and Chesterfield locations from June 1 through August 14. Both camps are for children ages 2 through 5 years, no potty training required.  Our daily schedule is action-packed with “kid-tested, Rompy-approved” sessions including incredible gym, art and music activities! It’s like a big kids’ camp on training wheels; all the fun, learning, and excitement but without the poison ivy!

Sabot Summer
A Sabot Summer is a series of one-week camps driven by the natural curiosity of children. Each summer workshop provides children, ages 4 – 8, with engaging opportunities for exploring and developing skills, sparking new ideas and interests as well as fostering imagination and enthusiasm for the world around them. A Sabot Summer honors the individuality of children and all their intelligences.

SPARC summer camps
The School of Performing Arts in the Richmond community – SPARC – has provided incredible performing arts experience to students in the Richmond area for over 30 years. SPARC has full-day and half-day camps for students ages 4 to 18. Our summer camps are filled with singing, acting, dancing, friends and fun! With camps from June to August, every student can find a camp to make them shine. Cheryl Lage of RichmondMom.com wrote in her article, ‘Fanning the SPARC’: “As a part-time (9-3:30 daily) working-in-an-office mama, the timing seemed ideal . . .confidence levels rose. Comfort acting, singing and dancing translates well to increased ease in presenting oral reports, speaking at assemblies, conveying the morning announcements. Thank you, SPARC. We’ll be back…probably this summer!” Voted Style Weekly’s Family Favorites Winner for 2013!

The Children’s Museum of Richmond (CMoR)
A weekly, half or full day camp, for children 2 ½ – 6 years old.  Children participate in a safe, noncompetitive, nurturing experience where learning is disguised as fun.

Tuckaway Child Development Centers have plenty of fun, learning, and excitement for kids. And who doesn’t love visiting Washington DC, Mexico, France, Italy, Russia, and many more amazin destinations during summer camp?

Young Chef’s Academy
Spring camp information listed for ages 3+. Summer camp information coming soon.

one jolly green giant cookie

When I was about 10 years old, I enjoyed making peppermint brownies with lime green frosting. It wasn’t an old time family recipe, but a recipe that I found on the back of the Duncan Hines brownie mix box. My parents politely ate a token amount the first time I made them, as well as the second time. After that, however, they respectfully told me that the brownies were probably more suited to a child’s palate than an adult palate, because they were so, “How should we say it, Dear, minty? Oh, and green!” Yes, they were very  green. Bright radioactive lime green.

When my relatives visited, preparations in our household were in order to welcome them, and I did my part by making peppermint brownies.  Aunt Lois simply raved about these brownies. My parents looked a little uneasy, which made my aunt even more enthusiastic about the flavor and all of its greenness. I will never know if she sincerely liked them or not, but I remember her kind words like it was yesterday and her encouragement was very important to me.

I haven’t developed a love of cooking or baking, and at best, I tolerate it. But I am still amazed at how cooking and baking teaches us so much more than a mere recipe. Ever wonder what your kids can get out of creating in the kitchen? Other than watching the anticipation on their faces as they peek at the goodies bubbling up through the oven window, that is? Here are a few skills they can develop that you may not have considered.

• Kitchen and Food Safety – Ensure safety around major appliances and kitchen gadgets, as children need to master safety rules to ensure everyone’s protection. Always supervise children and discuss rules prior to getting started.
• Reading – Reading the recipe, package labels, instructions, expiration dates, you name it!
• Following Directions – Whether it is scouring the pantry for  ingredients, following what the recipe calls for, or following the rules, this one is a biggie!
• Math – Counting, measuring, and you may want to consider the extra challenge of “doubling” a recipe for a little extra brain power.
• Fine Motor skills – Measuring, mixing, rolling dough, using cookie cutters, placing cookies, pinching and adding ingredients all foster fine motor and strength, coordination and dexterity for little hands.
• Turn Taking and Sharing – Enough said.
• Task Completion – My kids are usually very excited about starting the cooking process, but sometimes lose interest half way through. Strategies such as selecting recipes that have short preparation time, or alternatively, that preparations can be made in stages are helpful.
• Responsibility – Planning, cleaning up, and all those important life skills.
• Nutrition – Okay, the giant cookie with mega food dye isn’t the best nutritional choice, but in general, talking about healthy foods and which foods are only considered “treats” is important. Also, children are more likely to eat nutritious foods if they are part of the process.
• Problem Solving – When a culinary food disaster strikes, enlisting problem solving skills is a huge asset. My kids worked together to figure out how to get the large cookies off the cookie sheet without breaking.
• Self-esteem – Kids feel proud to cook and bake — and if they are contributing a food source to the household, it is even better.

By the way, when my boys showed my husband their finished product, he said, “Wow! That is one big green cookie! And I love it!”

Is your child ready to take on a few meals?  Check out 8 family dinners kids can make, here.

Do you cook or bake with your kids? What have you learned about the experience? What have your kids learned?

My first cookbook (by Patricia Petrich and Rosemary Dalton)

Here’s how it works:

1. Check out the cause and supply list below.  If it looks like something you’d like to do, let them know here and the lovely folks at HandsOn will send you instructions on how to do the month’s DIY project.

2. Volunteer at home with your kids, during nap time, or get a group together and volunteer as a team (learn how to create and manage a team right here).

3. Drop it off and feel good about making Richmond a little brighter while doing something really fun.

How you can get involved this month:
Create at least 4 Lanterns for InLight Richmond

Purpose:
1708 Gallery is a non-profit arts organization founded by artists in 1978. Our mission is to present exceptional new art. 1708 Gallery is committed to providing opportunities for artistic innovation for emerging and established artists and to expanding the understanding and appreciation of new art for the public.

1708’s annual signature event, InLight Richmond, is a public exhibition of light-based art and performances. Each year, InLight Richmond invites artists to respond to a particular neighborhood in our diverse city, attracting audiences to unique areas of Richmond. InLight 2014 will kick off with the Community Lantern Parade and will feature performances, sculpture, large-format projections, and interactive projects that will illuminate pathways, walls, sidewalks, green spaces, trees, benches, building facades, and more, in and around the park. DIY Volunteers will ensure that this event is light-filled and magical by crafting lanterns that will be used in the Community Lantern Parade.

Supply List:
• 4 clean two-liter plastic soda bottle
• a utility knife
• scissors
• colored tissue paper
• school glue/Mod Podge
• paint brush
• hole punch
• string
• 4 battery votive or LED candles
• tape

(volunteers are responsible for purchasing supplies)

Sign up here

We can’t wait to see your creations on parade at InLight Richmond!

Thanks To HandsOn Greater Richmond, we’re bringing you a new activity each month that you can do any time, any place and is great for getting little kids involved in their community.

Here’s how it works:

1. Check out the cause and supply list below.  If it looks like something you’d like to do, let them know here and the lovely folks at HandsOn will send you instructions on how to do that month’s DIY project.

2. Volunteer at home with your kids, during naptime, or get a group together and volunteer as a team (learn how to create and manage a team right here).

3. Drop it off and feel good about making Richmond a little brighter while doing something really fun.

This Month’s DIY:
Birthday Cards of Cheer For SupportOne

SupportOne provides residential and community-based support services for adults with intellectual disabilities. HandsOn Greater Richmond is partnering with SupportOne for August’s DIY project to help make client’s birthdays a little brighter. Volunteers will be crafting colorful and cheerful birthday cards that will be distributed throughout the year on resident’s birthdays, making them feel even more loved and cared for on their special day.

Supply List*:
• Cardstock, scrapbook paper, construction paper
• Scissors
• Decorative tape, markers, stamps, glitter, stickers, paint, felt, stickers, string, sequins, etc.
• Adhesives: Glue, mod podge

*DIY Volunteers are responsible for purchasing any of the materials needed for DIY volunteer opportunities.

We’ve partnered up with HandsOn and will post the DIY for the month here on Richmondmom.com, but you want to get out and about, you can find more volunteering opportunities for you or the whole family on their website.

Confirmed participants will receive 3 hours for submitting materials prior to 4pm, Monday, September 15, 2014.

Here’s how it works:

1. Check out the cause and supply list below.  If it looks like something you’d like to do, let them know here and the lovely folks at HandsOn will send you instructions on how to do that month’s DIY project.

2. Volunteer at home with your kids, during naptime, or get a group together and volunteer as a team (learn how to create and manage a team right here).

3. Drop it off and feel good about making Richmond a little brighter while doing something really fun.

This month’s DIY:

Summer Camp Treats for Peter Paul Development Center

Create a minimum of 5 decorated snack bags, 5 decorated bookmarks and 1 box of snacks. There is no maximum. Expect the total project to be done about 3 hours.

Purpose:
Peter Paul Development Center is an outreach and community center serving Church Hill and neighboring communities in Richmond’s East End. Its mission is to build a community of learners by engaging and challenging children, families and seniors through programs that enhance academic achievement, provide cultural enrichment, and promote self-esteem and lifelong self-sufficiency. At PPDC’s Summer Institute take-home snacks are provided to every child when they leave every day. Volunteers will craft fun and creative snack bags and bookmarks for the youth. DIY Volunteers are also asked to provide granola bar-type snacks with inspirational or educational messages on them.

We’ve partnered up with HandsOn and will post the DIY for the month here on Richmondmom.com, but you want to get out and about, you can find more volunteering opportunities for you or the whole family on their website.

Now go out there and make some happy campers!
Happy Volunteering!

Follow the links to get the tutorial on how to make these creative Easter eggs.

Sharpie Dyed Easter Eggs // Housing a Forest
What makes these more fun is using an eye dropper to make the rubbing alcohol all drippy… feels like a science experiment.

Black & White Eggs // Obviously Sweet

While we’re on the subject of Sharpie eggs, these doodles look super modern yet fun with nothing but a black sharpie.

Temporary Tattoo Eggs // Brit + Co.
I love Brit + Co and I’m annoyed with myself for not having thought of these.

Temporary tattoos as instant Easter Eggs. Duh. You can pick up cheap tattoos at the craft store in lots of fun designs.

Ukrainian Eggs Made Simple // Design Sponge

Alright… Compared to the temporary tattoos and sharpie eggs, these are a little more advanced. They did have beautiful results though.

Easter Egg People // Mr. Printables
Check out these little guys!! So cute!  Might be too tempting to play with them…

Stamped Easter Eggs // Lovely Indeed
She gets these beautiful colors using regular old Paas egg dye.
I think I need that stamp.

Gold Leaf Marbled Eggs // She Knows

The gold leaf part is definitely a mom or older kid task, but younger kids can do the original dye job.

Confetti Eggs // She Makes a Home

If it’s a confetti something, chances are I like it.I also like how impossible this one is to mess up.

Translucent Glitter Eggs // Bliss Bloom Blog

Epsom salt, glue and plastic eggs make this a cheap & easy (but still pretty) Easter Egg.

Sprinkle Easter Eggs // Studio DIY

While we’re dipping our eggs, these sprinkle Easter eggs look good enough to eat! (Uh, but don’t)

… All those eggs leave you with left over egg cartons? Check out these egg carton crafts!

Made some amazing Easter eggs? Share them with us!  Email them to Sarah@RichmondMom.com or tag us on Facebook or Instagram!

The snow day staples: milk, bread and eggs.
We already addressed what to do with all that milk… so now, how can we keep the kids entertained with the eggs?
Well, to go along with that you’re going to need some snow day activities.
So, here are some crafty “sides” to go along with your staples.

Egg Carton Animal Noses
Baby Jungle

How cute are these?!  These super easy and fun egg carton noses are perfect for pretend play.
(Also, file this away for Halloween costumes.)

Flower Garland
Say Yes

It might be a snowy day but we’re dreaming of spring flowers.
This cute little garland would be a cheerful way to decorate a kids room.

Go All Kandinsky on them

No tutorial here, but none needed.
Get creative and colorful with your own work of art.

Egg Carton SnowflakesWhite House, Black Shutters

Easy yes, but kids will really love this one because you get to smash these babies flat!
Paint em, or leave them as is.

Egg Carton Paint PalletLearn~Play~Imagine

Alright, so the egg carton isn’t the actual craft… But I love how this clever mama used it as a paint pallet.
Create dot paintings with q-tips and when the painting is done, just toss the supplies away for easy clean up.

Bunnies vs. Chicks CheckersCreate-Celebrate-Explore

These checkers were made for Easter, but you can make any animal you can think of, spend some time making them and then MORE time playing with them.

Egg Carton Snake Puppet
Kid Spot

I definitely don’t mind having these kinds of snakes around.
Make egg carton snake puppets and use them to tell a story.

Dragon (or Dinosaur) Puppet
Life with Moore Babies

Snake puppet too easy? Or perhaps he needs a friend.
This puppet is a little more work but you definitely get “crafty parent” brag rights!

Egg Carton Bird Feeder
Ginger Snap Crafts

Ah, yes, spring… wouldn’t that be nice…

Spy Glasses
Crafts By Amanda

Make some crazy glasses out of pipe cleaners and egg cartons and take some pictures.

Egg Carton Owl
MollyMoo

These little owls are made with a half dozen egg carton, use whatever you have on hand to decorate them.

Egg Carton Sailboat
Life at the Zoo

Not sure they’ll float far, but these sailboats sure are cute!

As for us, we use egg cartons as building blocks.  They’re perfect for toddlers because they are soft and quiet. Maybe we’ll paint them this snow day so it looks like we’re buried in egg cartons on purpose.

What can you make with left over egg cartons?
Tag us on Facebook or Instagram and we’ll share your art!

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Wax Valentine Hearts made with broken crayons:

Who doesn’t have a ton of broken crayons laying around our house?  This project needs a bit of supervision, especially at the beginning but it turns into fun melted hearts that can be strung or glued onto cards.

• Take your peeled crayons and shave them down with an old cheese grater. (A grown-up job.)
• Put a towel down, place a sheet of wax paper on the towel, place the crayon shavings on the sheet of wax paper and place another sheet on top, top it off with another towel.
•  Iron briefly till all the crayons have melted
  together.
• After the paper is cool cut or have your children cut hearts out.
• String them on some yarn to make a garland or glue them on card stock to make cards.
  

Whale Milk Jug Craft

Don’t want to just throw away your old milk jugs? Save them so your children can make milk jug whales.  After the whales are assembled they can be used in the bathtub or pool.

• old milk jugs with labels removed
• scissors
• glue gun
• googly eyes
• white or blue foam pieces
• a whale book if you are using it as a lesson or for some extra reading time.

Want more kid-friendly crafts?
Make these easy cork sailboats
Find some Valentine ideas kids will love