Celebrating Ostara with Your Child/ren

As soon as the weather permits, take your children walking outside to look for birds in the trees and new growth in the plant world.

If you live near a river or pond you can look for tadpoles in the water. (Be sure you return later to see the frogs which have grown from those tiny creatures.)

If you live where it is still too cold for outdoor adventures, buy some fast-growing seeds (grass seed is especially satisfying as it grows fast and is virtually indestructable) and let your child plant an indoor garden. If your child/ren plants seeds in a small pot which will fit inside their egg-hunting basket a week or so before Ostara, they can have real grass instead of shredded cellophane to nestle their eggs.

A silly but fun activity is to use hollow eggshells which have been opened at the wide end as small pots. Let your child draw a silly face on the side of the egg with markers. Fill them full of potting soil and sprinkle with grass seed. Water the seeds lightly and in a few days your "egghead" will  have grown "hair". When the grass begins to die put the eggshells outside for the birds and other animals to enjoy.

The earth celebrates Springtime by exploding with colors, scents and smells that are absent the rest of the year. Enjoy it! Teach your children to value the earth. Whether you live in verdent farmland, the inner city, or in the desert, look for the gifts the earth offers. They are waiting for you and your child/ren to discover.