Spring Fever

Here's a riddle: Why are kids always so tired in April? The answer: Because they've just finished a long March! True, it sometimes seems like forever before winter is going to melt away. But even if snow is still clinging to your lawn, there's cause to celebrate: the days are getting longer, the sun feels warmer, and summer days are just around the corner.

So whatever climate surrounds you, here are some of our favorite ways to welcome spring. Got rain? Customizing an umbrella or boots with foam art will get your kids in gear. Sun's out? A signs-of-spring scavenger hunt awaits you. Mired in mud? Let your children make the most of it by molding a mud parfait--but be sure they save their appetites for an edible chocolate Pie a la Mud for dessert. Check out these ideas and more on the following pages and get ready to enjoy an exhilarating case of spring fever.

Debra Judge Silber and her three children are eagerly awaiting spring in Connecticut.