03/27/2026
I strongly encourage you and your families to celebrate the holiday of Easter—or, if you prefer, a more nature-centered or spring fertility tradition. Whatever you choose, this is a beautiful opportunity to introduce your children to the remarkable changes happening in nature right now.
It is enormously important for children to experience the colors that suddenly emerge from the earth at this time of year—colors we simply don’t see in fall and winter. The pale pink of tulips, the bright yellow of daffodils, the golden glow of dandelions, and the abundance of flowering trees can feel almost overwhelming.
It’s as if nature is suddenly intoxicated with itself—and we feel that same giddy happiness. The birds sing loudly and joyfully, a chorus that has filled the earth for millions of years. We are the beneficiaries of these beautiful sounds.
Create a space—whether in your yard, garden, porch, or even by an open window—where children can feel the fresh breeze, see the colors, and hear the birds. Let them experience spring directly.
A drive to the countryside can be especially meaningful. Even though many lambs are born earlier in the year, it is still a delight for a child to see young animals playing in a field. There is no need to turn it into a lesson about agriculture or livestock. Simply go—bring a thermos of hot cocoa, a snack, sing songs, and let children observe with their own eyes.
Let them hear with their own ears.
Feel on their skin the fresh breezes of early spring.
Smell the shifting fragrances of blossoms, grass, and growing things.
These experiences enter the body in profound ways. What children see, hear, and smell is processed deeply, forming networks of connection throughout their developing minds and bodies. A child doesn’t just smell a flower with their nose—they experience it with their whole being. This is how we build a relationship with the natural world—something that surrounds us, yet is also part of us.
To support healthy development and critical thinking, children of all ages need time in nature—time to move through it, touch it, and simply be within it.
This is not the same as watching a documentary or looking at pictures in a book. Screens and pages are flat; nature is alive. The texture of a rotting log, the sight of a trillium blooming, or glimpsing a deer, fox, or raven in the forest leaves a lasting impression on a child’s inner world.
Of course, this requires effort from parents. It may be wet, cold, windy, or muddy. It takes planning—packing snacks, extra clothes, and stepping away from daily routines and screens. But the rewards are immeasurable.
There is truly little more important you can do. Time in nature offers benefits far beyond another episode of a television show. While programs can be enjoyable and provide a needed break, they cannot replace real, lived experience.
So get up and get outside. Make Easter baskets. Celebrate the rituals of spring—whether religious or nature-based. Visit wildflower blooms over the coming weeks. Explore gardens, waterfalls, forests, and farms. Take a class on harvesting wild greens. It doesn’t take much to begin.
Create simple traditions, like a “Peter Rabbit” spring dinner—meals inspired by the foods of the season: honey-roasted carrots, fresh pea soup, delicate green salads, warm milk, berries, lemon treats, and something cozy like biscuits or roasted sweet potatoes. Teach children to prepare small new potatoes with butter and herbs, and to enjoy asparagus and artichokes. Visit a farm, gather fresh eggs, and come home to cook together.
For our ancestors, early spring meant renewal—fresh greens, new flavors, and a break from preserved foods. It was a time of planting, growth, and anticipation.
Childhood is fleeting, and springs with family are few. Take advantage of this season. Step outside. Explore. Create traditions that fill your hearts with joy—moments so alive they make you want to sing without warning.
