In spring, we all come alive again. Just when we're reaching our maximum tolerance for darkness and cold, for stews and root vegetables, for seemingly endless indoor days, we re-emerge with the equinox. The morning light is strong and welcoming and it lingers until well after dinner, when we once again reconnect with neighbors for scootering and biking, street hockey and soccer. With the strengthening sunlight comes returning color, tucked in scattered spots along city sidewalks. The final days of winter can be tough, especially for homeschoolers, when inside projects lose their luster and everyone longs for those days when time outside trumps time in. I rarely hear harried homeschooling moms ponder sending their children to school come springtime, but in winter? Yep.
We celebrated the shift to a new season yesterday, spending hours in the warm midday sun at a park with friends and then returning home to frost our equinox muffins (whole grain corn muffins to represent the sun; chocolate and vanilla frosting to symbolize equal day and night). The girls and I sewed bandannas in a colorful spring print, looking forward to warm days ahead in the garden. And we welcomed a refreshed stack of seasonal books, including re-reading our favorite springtime children's books shared below.
Yes, snow and ice still line our sidewalks and playgrounds, and temperatures are forecast to plummet again tomorrow, but that will soon pass. Our spirits strengthen with the sun that lures us outside for much of the day, reconnecting us with nature and community, spring classes and renewed rhythms. It's nice to pause and recognize this seasonal shift, and celebrate all the light and goodness to come.
Recommended Springtime Children's Books
A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox, by Wendy Pfeffer
The Story of the Root Children, by Sibylle von Olfers
Pelle's New Suit, by Elsa Beskow
The Children of the Forest, by Elsa Beskow
It's Spring, She Said, by Joan Blos
Mama, Is It Summer Yet?, by Nikki McClure
How Mama Brought The Spring, by Fran Manushkin
We Planted A Tree, by Diane Muldrow
My Garden, by Kevin Henkes
A Garden for a Groundhog, by Lorna Balian
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