Around this time of year, we parents start to sympathize with that stir-crazed Greek goddess Demeter. Remember the story? Slightly overprotective mother, happened to rule all vegetable life. One day, her daughter, Persephone, gets kidnapped by Hades, nibbles a single pomegranate seed in the Underworld and from then on has to be his bride for four months every year. Whenever Persephone is down under, Mom gets an Olympian case of seasonal affective disorder and lets the living world wither away. When Persephone finally returns in the spring, Demeter rejoices and the world comes alive.

Of course, today we know that other forces drive the seasons. Still, after four months of withered earth, with much of North America about as cheery as an Underworld strip mall, it's easy to pine for Persephone. We don't have any tricks for making her return sooner, but we have come up with three craft projects that are sure to prepare your family for her arrival. Each celebrates a sign that Persephone is back: seedlings sprouting, bugs buzzing and songbirds on the wing. Each is also a toy for playing with as soon as the season changes. The kids will know when that happens: the snow will be gone, the lawn will be turning green, and every parent will be smiling like Demeter.



Jonathan Adolph is features editor and Maryellen Sullivan is an art assistant at FAMILYFUN.