Add These Family Activities to Your Spring Bucket List in Plano
Spring in Plano, TX is a fantastic time to get outside and enjoy the milder weather before the true heat of summer sets in. Although there’s no shortage of interesting indoor places to visit in our city, we encourage you and your family to try and spend more time outdoors this season. Getting out of the house and into nature is a great way to boost your family’s health and happiness.
Here are our top five family spring activities to do in Plano, TX; why not add them to your seasonal bucket list?
1. Shake off winter by soaking up the sun and fresh air at our many family-friendly Plano city and state parks.
Plano is home to plenty of different city and state parks, all with their own unique outdoor facilities. Whether you want to take a casual walk on a paved path, stroll on groomed trails, play some tennis or disc golf, or go on a day-long hike, there’s something for every family.
A few local favorites include:
If you and your family are interested in hiking spots in Plano, check these out:
Google and Plano.gov are useful resources for locating hiking trails or parks that fit your family’s needs.
2. Throw a spring fling backyard picnic and plant some flowers or vegetables to grow and enjoy.
Your backyard is a great place for family spring activities. A fun idea would be having a family party in the backyard, complete with a picnic or tasty barbeque. Spring is a great time to plant flowers, vegetables, or herbs, so why not combine the two activities?
Stop by your local hardware or farm supply store and pick out a few plants to try growing. The faster the plant grows, the better for little ones, since it will keep them more invested in the project. If you don’t already have dedicated flowerbeds or a raised garden, you can use various planters, containers, and even simple buckets with drain holes.
You can also invite other family members or friends over for the occasion. Instead of planting in-ground, you might have the kids and adults paint and decorate terra-cotta pots for their seeds or starts so they have something to take home for their garden.
3. Grab the binoculars and head to a local nature preserve for a birdwatching scavenger hunt.
Birdwatching is far from boring, especially when you turn it into a scavenger hunt or bingo-style game! You’ll need binoculars and a good field guide, like this one. You can create a scavenger hunt list that includes a few of the most common species around Plano and see who can spot them first. Another option that’s perfect for little kids is to simplify it down to colors or sizes of birds, like ‘small-yellow bird’ or ‘flying-brown bird’.
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve and Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve are great locations to spend a day with your family. You can find a more specific list of popular bird watching locations here.
4. Channel your inner Texas ranch hand and hit the trails on horseback for a lasting family memory.
Texas will forever be synonymous with the wild west and visions of cowboys and cowgirls galloping across the plains. What better way to enjoy the outdoors with your family than on the back of a horse?
You can’t mention trail riding around Plano without recommending Southfork Ranch. Thanks to its feature in the hit television show “Dallas”, Southfork Ranch is a favorite among tourists and locals alike. Safety is always number one, so there is a minimum age limit of 8 years for horseback riding on the trails.
5. Make the most of rainy days with arts & crafts, science experiments, and family game nights.
As much as we love sunny spring weather, living in Plano will teach you that sometimes nature has other things in mind. When we do get rainy spring days, there’s still plenty you can do with your family indoors that doesn’t involve screens. Rainy day crafts, spring-themed art projects, easy science experiments, and a good ol’ fashioned game night are always a great way to bond with your loved ones.
Pinterest makes it easy to find arts & crafts projects for kids of all ages—check it out here! It’s also a great resource for tracking down easy but fun science experiments to try.
Don’t forget to make time in your busy spring schedule for dental checkups and cleanings.
Spring is known as a season of growth and change, and often some much-needed spring cleaning around the home and yard. Your schedule will quickly fill up with family activities and household tasks, so before you have a chance to forget, take a moment right now to book your family’s upcoming dental appointments. Remember that seeing a dentist every six months for a dental evaluation and cleaning is crucial for preventing tooth decay and gum disease in all ages.
Get in touch by calling our family-friendly office or using this handy online request form.