Last Updated on June 8, 2021 by Audrey
Spring is the season of new life! Which can be really exciting after six months of white/gray/brown everything. Don’t get me wrong; I love winter and the snow! But it does drag on after a bit, and I’m definitely ready for the change. So we decided to celebrate with a signs of spring hike!
This is simply a hike where we search specifically for signs of spring! In our case, it was actually more of a meander through our backyard. And surprisingly, there was quite a bit to discover back there!
This is our first spring in our house, so we had no idea what things might grow in our yard after lying dormant all winter. It’s been fun to discover what kind of bushes we have in our backyard or that there are patches of tulips and peonies along the edge of the fence!
So whether you decide to go for a spring hike or just wander your backyard and neighborhood, here are 5 things to be on the lookout for!
Wildflowers.
This one goes without saying…but I said it. Keep an eye out for any wildflowers pushing up through the ground. The forest floor can be so pretty this time of year when carpeted with flowers! Don’t forget to include flowering trees and bushes in your search!
Take pictures as you go and compile a collage later. Or, bring along a wildflower field guide and try to identify the ones you find. And when travel becomes a thing again, check out this list of the best wildflower hikes in America!
Spring edibles.
It can be so fun (and surprising!) to discover how many plants all around you are edible or medicinal. Grab a field guide to bring along on your spring hike and see how many new edible plants you can learn about! I wouldn’t recommend trying any of them unless you’re with a trained professional or are one yourself. Just had to put that there.
New growth.
This one is probably the easiest to find. There are new buds on the trees and sprouts popping up everywhere! I love examining the individual buds on different kinds of trees. They’re all so unique, and a lot of them don’t look anything like leaves in the beginning!
Wildlife activity.
Animals are out and about during this time of year! They’re scurrying around trying to find food and gain back weight they lost during winter. And there’s a good chance you’ll be able to witness some of this activity on your spring hike.
Even in our backyard we’ve seen a huge increase in bird and squirrel activity. I’m not much of a bird watcher, but it’s still kind of fun to see robins plucking worms out of the ground or noticing pretty patterns and colors on different birds.
Nest full of eggs.
If you find this one during your spring hike, you’ve really hit the jackpot! Just make sure while viewing the nest that you don’t disturb or touch anything. And don’t linger for too long; mama bird is probably nearby and anxious to get back!
But this is such a cool discovery, especially for kids! Who knows…when you peep into the nest, the eggs may have even hatched and you could be greeted by the gaping mouths of some baby birds! Either one would be pretty cool to witness.
On the day that we decided to do our signs of spring search in our yard, we just happened to discover two robin’s eggs! Both were on the ground with no nest in site. The first one had been crushed on one side and was empty, but it was still a cool find.
We didn’t discover the second one until a little later. But when I picked it up, we realized it was a perfect, whole egg! Since this has happened probably never in my lifetime, I was pretty excited. I remember that as a kid, finding even an imperfect robin’s egg on the ground felt like discovering treasure!
So head on out for a spring hike of your own and see what you can find! Even if you stay in your yard or neighborhood, there’s so much to discover if you just keep your eyes open!
And for more spring activity ideas, check here!
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