There are so many reasons to love springtime. Spring cleaning (aka turning the kids’ rooms upside down and throwing out all their useless … stuff). Spring flowers straight from the garden instead of the pricey stuff from the grocery store. The weather starts to finally get nicer. I could go on, but you get the picture.

But here’s the thing. Our kids don’t give two hoots about all that cleaning and money-saving. They do, however, love it because of the temperature. They love spring because it is THE BEST TIME of the year to be a kid. Oh, ho, you’re going to go on about summer, aren’t you? Read this list, and you will reconsider the uber status of spring:

  1. April showers bring May flowers, but first, come puddles. What Peppa Pig-loving kid doesn’t absolutely love puddles?
  2. Mud season makes for the best mud pies. Period.
  3. Mom’s on a spring cleaning bender, and what is that, is she headed into the kids’ rooms? Quick, get outside, before she makes us help! Commence “I don’t have to clean my room this week” happy dance.
  4. Picnics are back, and along with that, picnic food. Hot dogs covered in dirt from being dropped in the backyard for the win!
  5. It’s still light after school. Homework? What homework? I’m going outside to play!
  6. Duck walking in rainboots. ‘Nuff said.
  7. How many kids can pile on that hammock? Let the contest begin!
  8. The winter left the yard covered in sticks, and somewhere there’s a “sword” fight begging to break out.
  9. Baseball games run late, and guess who gets to stay up to watch all the way through the ninth inning with the fam?
  10. Soft muddy ground–the better for falling on during a backyard pickup game.
  11. Aaaaaand the bike gets wheeled back out of the shed!
  12. It’s finally nice enough out to get to the park or stay out more in the yard. Yes!
  13. Culverts full of running water and junk. Oh wait, is that the tennis ball I lost two summers ago? Score!