Spring is coming early this year—Magnolia trees are blooming, Harriton students are spending lunches outside and some are even tanning without luxurious spring break vacations. Despite that this unusual warmth should raise concern regarding climate change, the onset of this new season, which began a week or so ago, should also be celebrated!

Springtime is a period of renewal and growth. Hopefully these activities allow you to try something new like visiting the farmers market or reconnect with your younger-self, like blowing bubbles. In any case, we hope these give you ideas to enjoy this lovely time of the year.

1. Work in the garden: Even though there are still colder days, plants are ready to start growing this early! Start a vegetable garden to harvest in the summer or plant flower seeds to be pleasantly surprised in months to come. You can find seeds and later plants at your local gardening store.
2. Cook something new and have a picnic at the park! Or if you’re too lazy to cook yourself, try a new café and sit outside in the nice weather. The night-time version of this would be to have a campfire (but not at a park!).
3. Go to the farmer’s market: Both Bryn Mawr and recently Ardmore have Farmer’s Markets every Saturday starting the first weekend in May. All the produce and meat comes from local farms with most of it organic or environmentally consciously cultivated. It is extremely fresh and you could find foods you have never encountered before! Give it a try and these could be the ingredients for your picnic in the park.
4. Be active: Try hiking at Rolling Hill park or Saunders Woods or biking along the Skyukill. The new Cynwyd Heritage Trail to Manayunk has great views, especially at sunrise or sunset and lends itself very well to running, walking, skating or biking.
5. Be young and have fun: Play at the playground like you are five! And blow bubbles! Make a masterpiece with chalk on the sidewalk. Even though we’re not in elementary school some of these silly activities are great stress relievers and help to divert your mind to a calmer place.
6. Water fight: These are extremely fun events, which seem to not happen often enough! On some of the hotter days this spring, grab your squirt gun and catch your friends.
7. Make dirt pudding: If you are unfamiliar with dirt pudding, you must try this delicious dessert if nothing else this spring. It is a glorious combination of Oreos, chocolate pudding gummy worms and whipped cream. You can make it fancy (pudding and cream from scratch) or easy (stop by Wawa and pick all the ingredients up in 5 minutes). There are many variations of how to make this but here is a general recipe: Get a bowl, add a layer of crushed Oreos, then a layer of chocolate pudding, a layer of whipped cream and then another, thinner layer of crushed Oreos (which represents topsoil). On top of the Oreos you can add gummy worms for the theme. Get as artistic as you like!