With the blossoming of trees, bumbling of bees and the singing of birds, spring brings with it bundles of energy. Use the change in season as an opportunity to get out and about on a spring family adventure in the forest.
Whether you’re visiting a local woodland or exploring from your doorstep, we've got five suggestions for how to celebrate spring with your family.
Explore a Room on the Broom interactive trail
Join Julia Donaldson's Witch, and her friends, on a magical family adventure in the forest. Search for Witch’s missing hat, bow and wand and add the final ingredients into her cauldron to complete the spell.
Along the way, you’ll also discover enchanting forest facts, learn about animal habitats, cast spells and complete plenty more woodland activities.
Our Room on the Broom family forest trails can be found at sites all across the country.
Go butterfly spotting in the forest
You'd be amazed at how many different butterfly species live in the nation's forests, and they start appearing again during the spring. How many can you spot on your next forest walk?
Here are a few handy tips to get started:
- mid-morning is the best time to go on a butterfly hunt.
- look for sheltered areas away from the wind.
- try to move slowly and avoid casting a shadow over the butterfly, as it will fly away to find a new sunbathing spot.
Read our woodland butterfly guide before you go.
Take a mindful moment in nature
With spring comes the sense of new beginnings and an opportunity to reflect.
Our 'tree of life' activity uses trees to help us think about our lives, what makes us who we are, and what we can always rely on. Download and encourage your family to have a go.
Play a spring bluebell game
A truly iconic part of British springtime, the small but beautiful bluebell creates fantastic carpets of colour in our forests, along verges, in parks and maybe even in your own garden.
Download and print your own 'true or false' game to test your family’s bluebell knowledge.
Become a spring wildlife spotter
Download your free activity sheet to see what signs of spring your young explorers can spot on your next forest walk.
For the older children, why not start a spring spotter diary?
Encourage a connection to our natural surroundings by keeping a weekly nature log. Take note of the different birds, animals, and plants, and try to describe the smells, sounds and how these details make you feel.
