By: Jordan Frantz

The first day of spring was March 19. With a new season in full swing comes many new and exciting activities to do. Warmer weather, more sunshine, and a cool breeze hold many opportunities and fun tasks for everyone to do. 

Outdoor activities

If you are someone who enjoys the outdoors, the following can be fun ways to get you outside and enjoy the wonderful spring weather. 

Gardening is an activity that requires a small amount of knowledge and skill to get started. It shows your ongoing effort through the growth of plants and flowers. Cox Arboretum MetroPark, Dayton Grotto Gardens, and Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum are a few local sites that are full of beautiful gardens and flowers for inspiration. 

Biking is an activity that is a simple skill to learn and is incredibly fun once you hang of it. It is a good source of transportation, too. You can ride your bike anywhere in Bellbrook. There is a bike trail called Little Miami Scenic Trail that goes all the way to Springfield.

Sidewalk Chalk is a fun activity that can be done with friends, family, or alone. You can use your creativity to create images and fun creations. It can be done on any surface that allows chalk and can be easily removed with rain. In Bellbrook there are many locations for it, but popular ones tend to be driveways and sidewalks. 

Hiking is a great way to get physically active in the spring. You can hike with friends, family, or even pets. Bringing pets on hikes is a great way for them to enjoy the weather and outdoors. In Bellbrook there are a variety of hiking trails: Morris Reserve, Bill Yeck Park, Sweet Arrow Reserve, and Sugarcreek MetroPark are the major ones. There are also many more hiking locations throughout the Dayton area. However, a neighborhood or the downtown can also be a nice suburban option. 

Picnics are a great way to enjoy any meal outdoors alone or with people. Parks are wonderful areas to enjoy picnics. Some parks you could enjoy a picnic include Bellbrock Park downtown and the newly-renovated Magee Park. Some parks that don’t have playgrounds but provide nice grounds include: Sackett Wright Park, Spring Lakes, and Washington Mill Park. 

Indoor Activities

Baking is a wonderful activity to do at home alone or with others. There are a variety of bakeries and sweet shops in Dayton — including the new bakery Sweet Adaline’s on Wilmington Pike– but if you are someone who wants to bake your own treats there are a variety of stores to find ingredients. Some fun spring items to bake are lemon bars, blueberry tarts, springtime cakes, banana bread, muffins, and more. 

Painting / Crafts are a wonderful way to relax and use your imagination and creativity. In Bellbrook, there is a place called Outside the Box Art Studio. At this location you can do pottery, painting, clay, and sculpting. They have open studio Saturdays, from 12-5 pm where you can come in and make your own crafts. 

Board Games are another great way to hang out with friends on spring days. Target, Walmart, Costco, and a few more local locations have spots to buy board games.