Ten Activities to Enjoy in Herndon This Spring

Celebrating the arrival of spring with your family and friends can be really fun and refreshing after a long winter. Now that the weather is finally improving, it's time to break free from cabin fever, get some fresh air and enjoy fun outdoor activities.

Here are 10 fun ideas to try in Herndon:

1)    Take to the trails. Explore a trail near you at a local park, including the W&OD Trail, or plan a day trip and a longer hike at Great Falls. 

2)    Zip to the zoo or your local wildlife or bird sanctuary. Beat the summer crowds and enjoy a visit to the National Zoo. You may find the animals are outside and more active as they emerge to enjoy the warmer weather too. You'll enjoy the visit even more if you bring some binoculars, which you can purchase at Kohl's.

3)    Hit the water. You can rent a kayak or canoe at Pohick Bay Regional Park. Spring is also a great time to take a class to learn how to kayak, canoe or even sail at Mariner Sailing School.

4)    Serve Herndon together by sprucing up your favorite place to play outdoors. Check out Friends of Runnymede Park for more details on how to volunteer with friends or family at the annual Runnymede Park cleanup, taking place April 6.

5)    Dig out your wheels. Time to break out your bikes from the garage. You can get your bike a tune-up at Green Lizard Cycling, right on the W&OD Trail in downtown Herndon. If you find your child has outgrown his or her old bike, purchase a new one at Green Lizard, too. 

6)    Build a fort or a tree house. If your family includes kids, spring is an ideal time to build a fun place to play. A great source of inspiration is The Treehouse Book by Peter Nelson and David Larkin, available from Amazon. Nova Arborist is a great resource to help you pick the best tree to build your tree house in and to offer suggestions on how to build it without harming the tree.

7)    Start a garden. Now is the time to get your garden beds ready for planting by putting down compost. New to gardening? Head to Meadows Farms Nursery where they can help you build your garden beds and offer advice on which flowers and veggies will do well in your climate. And kids can help start the garden too by planting seeds indoors in empty egg cartons that can be transferred outside into your garden beds in just a few weeks. 

8)    Learn some new navigation skills by going letterboxing. Letterboxing is an outdoor hunt for hidden treasures using navigational tools. You can find parks participating in letterboxing in your area here.

9)    Enjoy your flea and farmer’s markets. In many parts of the country, outdoor markets can be found all year round or from early spring to late fall. You can visit Farmers Table at Frying Pan Farm Park through April, and the Herndon Farmers Market begins May 2 in downtown Herndon. 

10)  Go fly a kite. The wild wind makes spring an ideal time to enjoy kite flying.  You can purchase a kite at Kmart.

TELL US: How will you celebrate the arrival of spring here in town? Share your ideas for getting outside and enjoying the warmer weather in the comments section below.