The Ultimate Houston Spring Bucket List

Ahhhh, spring time in Houston. You have finally arrived! {And so says my allergies, too.} Come and stay awhile, why don’t ya? Of course, if you’ve lived in Houston for any amount of time, you know that spring is a short-lived season around here, if we can even call it a true season. We have just a couple of precious months of gorgeousness before we are all sweating it out by the pool and dreaming of fall leaves and lattes. So that said, our family wants to make the most of this delightful season and we thought yours would too!

Before I dive in to ALL that there is to do here in Houston this spring {and believe me – there is A LOT!}, I have to start by giving a great, big shout out to our Ultimate Spring Bucket List sponsor Heights Plant Farm.  This little gem is sooo much more than your typical plant nursery, and it definitely tops our list of “must see” places to visit in Houston this spring!  Of course, if you want to find healthy plants, organic gardening supplies, or top notch garden consultation – you can find it there.  But we encourage you to stray from the beaten path and experience everything else they have to offer too!  Like their weekly Flower Hours {their spin on happy hour!}, potting parties {for kids and grown-ups too!}, and summer camps {with sessions from flowers to photography to art cars and more!}.  If you only do ONE thing off of our Ultimate Spring Bucket List, make it a trip to Heights Plant Farm for sure!

Now, may we present our Ultimate Spring Bucket List? Ready, set, GO!

Spring Bucket List

Spring Fun Out & About

  • Blessington Farm :: U-pick strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Don’t forget to check out their “Farm Funland” – complete with barrel train rides, pedal cars, sand mountain, nature play area, steer roping, pony hops, and sweet animal encounters
  • Take bluebonnet pics. So many places to go in Houston – drive out 290, head to Brenham, or even find them at Memorial Park. Take a peek at Bluebonnet Love to find out recent sightings too! {If you want to go for professional pics, we LOVE Momma’s Gonna Snap!}
  • Head to the Houston Zoo :: What better time to enjoy before a steamy summer?
  • Attend the Mother’s Day Market for great shopping, a yummy luncheon, and a keynote speech from HMB’s founder
  • Houston Arboretum :: So many different ways for your children to explore and learn about nature. Plus, another great picture opportunity for the budding photographers
  • Zoom to the Houston Art Car Parade {April 11th}
  • Easter Egg hunts, of course!
  • …and if you’re hosting your own egg hunt, stuff some eggs with these unique goodies
  • Enjoy tunes with the family at Heights Kids’ Day of Music {April 18th}
  • Visit Heights Plant Farm {with a new and improved location!} on April 18th for the Harris County Master Gardener Seminar on Hugelkultur gardening. The kiddos can visit with the bunnies or play with the Plant Farm puppy, Scarlett Begonia
  • Bats and boats and more at Buffalo Bayou
  • Sign up for one of Houston Moms Blog’s fun-filled play dates
  • Head to the coast and spend the day at Moody Gardens :: take in their new zip lines, a ropes course, paddleboat cruises, the Aquarium Pyramid, and the Discovery Museum. Something for everyone!
  • Go north to The Woodlands Market Street. Tons of events all spring long!
  • Then, make it a staycation by booking a room at The Woodlands Resort
  • Take in a spring concert at the courtyard of LaCenterra in Katy :: happening every Saturday in April
  • Visit our nearby Galveston beaches for either a “staycation” or just a day trip. How lucky are we to have our very own piece of the Gulf of Mexico real estate in our backyard?
  • Amaze your children at the Waterwall Park
  • Froberg’s Farm :: Head to Alvin for strawberry pickin’ through May. Don’t forget to stop by their store for all sorts of other homegrown goodies
  • Explore the 8 stunning formal gardens at Bayou Bend along the Buffalo Bayou
  • Kayak on Kinder Lake at Discovery Green {March 14th to June 28th}
  • Be entertained AND educated at Earth Day Houston at Discovery Green {April 11th}
  • Party in the park at Spring’s Texas Crawfish & Music Festival {April 24th-26th & May 1st-3rd}
  • Drop the kids at Parent’s Night Out {find one near you here} and enjoy a date night sans children

Good Eats & Spring Drinks

  • 70 and 80 degree temps just scream the time to hit up your local Sno-ball stand! Locations all around town – check out Yelp for recommendations in your area. {Mam’s Snoballs are highly recommended by the HMB Team!}
  • Spring for an ice cream or frozen yogurt date
  • Enjoy a half-price slushie or shake at your area Sonic after school {Happy Hour is 2-4pm}
  • Visit a Farmer’s Market and let the kids pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try
  • Day trip to the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory in Brenham
  • Have a picnic at a park or in your backyard
  • Grill out on the patio
  • Surprise your kids at school with a special lunch
  • Take your toddlers up to Mommy or Daddy’s work to enjoy a lunch date
  • Walk or bike up to Shipley Do-Nuts and grab a sweet breakfast treat {or three!}
  • Hit up the Houston Food Park with culinary delights served via food trucks
  • Head to City Hall’s Farmers Market every Wednesday :: farm-fresh groceries, prepared ready-to-eat foods, food trucks, and more
  • Whip up a fresh spring salad for dinner
  • Make your own pizza using farm-fresh ingredients {We also love Andrea’s recipe here!}
  • Invite your friends over for a crawfish boil
  • Find a patio and enjoy a refreshing glass of wine or beer {If your patio is at home, try Kelly’s Perfect White Wine Sangria}
  • Lighten up your spring pasta meals with “zoodles” {zuchinni noodles} or spaghetti squash
  • Make blackberry cobbler
  • Add a twist to your nightly ice cream with your freshly picked strawberries
  • Make your own lemonade
  • Try out the lemon or carrot cake flavors from Nothing Bundt Cakes

Culture & Education

  • Go on a nature walk taking pictures of wildflowers. Once you are home, look in a Texas wildflower guide book like this one to identify what you found
  • Take a field trip to the Houston Audubon for Birdathon 2015
  • Have a “playground for your mind” at the Children’s Museum
  • Enjoy a musical, the Houston Ballet, acrobatics, and more all coming this Spring to Miller Outdoor Theater
  • Visit Heights Plant Farm to learn about organics, composting, edible, and native gardening
  • Host a “potting party” or your child’s birthday party at Heights Plant Farm where guests are guided by an educational expert and each friend gets to bring home their unique planted arrangement to care for
  • Learn about the life cycle of a butterfly
  • Take in a show at the Theatre Under the Stars. Heads up :: Cinderella comes to life on May 26th – June 7th

{For a comprehensive list of Houston museums, click here. Find Houston theatres here.}

Create & Craft

  • Make an Easter Banner like this one from Jenn. Once Easter has passed, think flower shapes!
  • Hop into these simple Easter projects courtesy of Jana. How cute are those baskets? And post Easter, turn those worms & dirt into a fun spring dish with just the fresh picked strawberries
  • Make Mother’s Day cards {or for the grandmothers, of course} using these precious handprints that bring spring flowers alive
  • Use the ever popular Eric Carle books to work through butterfly and caterpillar crafts {great prep for visits to the zoo or Children’s Museum too!}
  • Create a one-of-a-kind flower pot. Super easy, cheap, and totally creative for little and big ones alike. Some great ideas found here
  • Use up those extra coffee filters and make butterflies. Another simple, yet beautiful craft using just a few supplies. {I can do this one, and I’m craft challenged for sure}
  • Get crafty with these quick and easy DIY spring shirts for your little one
  • Purchase a bug collector kit and go on the hunt
  • Make “dirt pudding” with gummy worms
  • Buy a plant from Heights Plant Farm, fertilize, and chart it’s growth
  • Construct binoculars from toilet paper rolls and go exploring in the great outdoors
  • Break out the sidewalk chalk for hopscotch or a virtual garden
  • Try out one {or all 5} of these spring staycation ideas
  • Feed the birds! Take a large pine cone, slather with peanut butter, and sprinkle with bird seeds
  • Mod Podge tissue paper a dollar store vase
  • Do a little DIYing and make your own spring cleaning supplies
  • Fill up several glasses of water, each tinted via food coloring. Let the little ones drop white carnation petals in and watch them change colors
  • Make Egg Carton Caterpillars – so precious!
  • Fingerpaint onto heavy cardstock or poster board to create one-of-a-kind bluebonnet masterpieces. The little one’s thumbs are the perfect shape and size
  • Plant a vegetable garden and watch it start to grow
  • Make homemade play-doh {recipe here}

Move & Groove {Sports & Rec}

  • Hit up Toddler Tuesdays at Discovery Green
  • Take a family bike ride at Memorial Park {or just around your neighborhood too!}
  • Go cheer on our local sports teams :: Houston Dynamo, Astros, and Sugar Land Skeeters {Be sure and check out the event schedules – many will have discounted kiddo nights or fun family packages}
  • Check out Cigna Sunday Streets :: The City of Houston will close down various areas in both April and May to encourage Houstonians to move! Bike riding, walking, running, and socializing with no car traffic.
  • Try out a Baby Boot Camp class in your area {your first class is FREE!}
  • Visit an introductory class at The Little Gym :: 11 Houston-area locations, and we can guarantee serious fun for your littles
  • Have a spring sprinkler party in your backyard
  • Participate in a family 5K or fun walk :: there are so many happening around town this spring and many are family-friendly. Check ’em out here
  • Set up an outdoor obstacle course or relay race with your neighbor
  • Discover a new park in your area. It’s amazing how excited kids get with new equipment to run and jump on!
  • Go camping :: There’s Brazos Bend State Park, Camp Jellystone, Sam Houston National Forest, and Lake Conroe just to name a few
  • And if you get caught in some spring showers, keep moving with these creative indoor play activities too!

 Community & Giving Back

  • Organize a block party in your neighborhood
  • Make a seasonal treat for a neighbor and hand-deliver it. {We love these ideas here}
  • Have a few girlfriends and their children over for a casual play date during the witching hour
  • Host a book party :: pick a book, read it with your kiddos, dress up like the characters, and make some fun crafts to go with it
  • Deliver baked goods up to your local fire or police station
  • Spring clean your closets and donate to the charity of your choice
  • Make blessing bags with your kids to keep in your car
  • Donate blood to the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
  • Choose a charity as a family to support, then collect loose change all spring {If your kids get an allowance, encourage them to give a portion to your charity each week}
  • Have a garage sale
  • Just SURVIVE those last few weeks of school!

Back by popular demand, we have also created a super convenient and FREE printable so you can chart your activities all spring long! Hover over the image to pin it on one of your spring-themed Pinterest boards and use the link directly below to get a PDF version for easy printing. Don’t forget to follow us on social media {Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter} for all the latest and greatest spring happenings in Houston too!!!

Ultimate Spring Bucket List

Click here for PDF download.


Please Note :: Heights Plant Farm has graciously stepped up to sponsor this amazing bucket list, but all thoughts, opinions, and ideas are proudly our own.

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Meagan Clanahan
Meagan is a Dallas native who has lived in the Katy area for over a decade. She kicked a soccer ball all the way to Louisiana to attend college at her family’s alma mater of LSU, where she promptly fell in love with a Texas Aggie in Baton Rouge for an internship. After swimming back to Texas following Hurricane Katrina, Matt and Meagan fell in love with the Houston area and now couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Following several years of infertility, their miracle twins Ryan and Quinn were born in June of 2010. She believes there is nothing better than a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio, a large Sonic Diet Coke, sushi take-out, Girls Nights Out, and a mindless book to curl up with. Besides playing chauffeur and catering to the whims of her children, Meagan also is the Co-Owner of Houston Moms Blog. You can keep up with Meagan at The Clanahan Fam and on Instagram @meaganclanahan!

1 COMMENT

  1. great list! Thanks for getting it all together. Let’s see if I can do 10 on the list? Maybe? I need goals so this is a great way to try and get the family out instead of our usual parks and playdates.

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