spring outside: a seasonal bucket list
planting and reading and picnics under the cherry blossoms.
When I started to embrace seasonal living a few years back, an autumn bucket list was one of my very first forays. A seasonal bucket list is nothing fancy - just intentionally writing down a handful of things you want to do over the next few months to fully embrace the season of the year. If you love swimming outside, it’s such a shame to let the whole summer pass you by without making a trek to your local beach (and way too easy for it to happen). If you dream of going for a leaf walk but there’s just never really time to go and then all of a sudden the leaves are all down and autumn has passed, that is simply a waste.
This spring, don’t let the season pass you by without setting aside some time to enjoy it. I’m sharing a few highlights from my own outdoor bucket list below, but consider what makes this season special to you. Would a wildflower walk make you smile? Do you have a favorite spring-y book you like to re-read each year? We still have a few more weeks of spring, so it is not too late to check off your spring bucket list.
Eat your first meal in the sunshine.
More than any other time of year, spring is a season of firsts. The first camping trip. The first rainy day. And what may be my favorite, the first lunch sitting outside in the sun. There are a few weeks of the year when it is just warm enough to sit outside at lunchtime, but already chilly after work hours. This is my favorite time to squeeze in a little extra outdoor time by eating my lunch outside. After the months of winter’s cold and dark, a meal outside is one of life’s great pleasures.
Go for a spring walk.
Spring walks may be the best time to get outside of the whole year. Day by day there is so much to notice! The first tiny buds of green on the trees. Tulips painting the neighborhood into a rainbow. Baby ducks and baby rabbits and all sorts of new life. Whether you make it to the woods for a proper hike or just take a stroll through the neighborhood, a walk is non-negotiable on my spring bucket list.
On that topic, more on wildflower walks here.
Plant something.
There is something so amazing about tucking a tiny seed into soil, watering it daily, and seeing green shoots burst forth and eventually grow into an entire plant. Spring is the time to seed your garden. Whether you have one little pot on a windowsill or a whole backyard to fill, spring is your moment to sow seeds for the months ahead.
Read a book at the park.
From a post earlier this spring:
The temperatures are slowly climbing, the sun is peeking its head out for a few hours at a time, and the first buds on trees are starting to bloom. Spring seems to be here to stay in Minnesota and I am squeezing in every outdoor moment that I can. That includes stowing a book in my bag on a walk earlier this week and taking a few minutes to read a chapter on a park bench overlooking my local pond and watching ducks skitter back and forth across the water between sentences.
I was digging into The Nature of Spring by Jim Crumley, a Scottish nature write. This book was about as spring-y as a read could be, but anything you’re reading would be a little more lovely if read outside in the sunshine.
So while you may already be a habitual “a book by the pool/beach” reader in the summertime, may I suggest cracking on with your outdoor reading a little earlier this year? Yes, on a spring day you may find yourself a bit chilly in the wind or the shade, but if you can find a sunny, peaceful spot for just 5 or 10 minutes of reading - it feels like true spring magic. Read the full post here.
A spring picnic (ideally under cherry blossoms).
Cherry blossom season may have been the most memorable thing about my time living in Japan. Each spring, all of society comes together to spend every free moment underneath the cherry blossoms. Picnics gather groups of 10 or 20 or 30 friends, family members or co-workers. While you may not have cherry blossoms where you live (they are few and far between here in Minnesota), the idea of gathering outside to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and nature’s beauty still applies. Put it on the calendar, pack up some snacks, grab a friend (or ten) and spend a few hours in the sunshine.
Fire up the grill.
Cooking outdoors is such a sign of the season change. Whether it’s firing up a camp stove or a grill on the patio, it marks a shift in how we eat. Gone are heavy stews and slow-roasted vegetables (for now). Here to stay are crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs, and quick-charred mains.
Visit a farmer’s market.
A trip to the farmer’s market feels like a bookend to the long winter months. Shopping outdoors, browsing produce, and grabbing a bundle of flowers for your kitchen table. The farmer’s market is such a delight! Farmer’s markets just reopened near me and while I haven’t gone yet this spring, this is top of my bucket list at the moment.
There are so many ways to embrace spring! Maybe you love eating seasonally or look forward to jumping in puddles or want to pass the season by reading a perfect spring book. Whatever it is, your bucket list will look a little different from mine. The important thing is that you actually make one!
Grab a notebook, or a piece of paper, or the notes app in your phone. Write down a handful of items that you want to do this spring. (I think 5 activities is a great, do-able number). Choose activities that sound exciting to you, write them down, and then do them. You don’t have to cross every item off your list (there is always next spring to look forward to!) By thinking through and prioritizing things you’d like to do, you can get them on the calendar and be ready to with an idea the next time you have a free Saturday or are making plans to meet up with a friend. Happy spring-ing!
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Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase of any of the books linked in this post.
I love this idea of a seasonal bucket list! Now I’m excited to think about all of the summer activities we’re on the cusp of.