We have created a sample Spring Playground bucket list. Not everything on this list requires a playground and remember sometimes the simplest activities can be the most memorable. If you're following me on Instagram share your #Springplaygroundbucketlist adventures! (just remember to make your account or posts public). We'd love to see what you and your kids come up with for their Bucket Lists!

1. go on a worm or bug hunt
2. build a fairy garden
3. fly a Kite
4. splash around in the rain (here are some of our favorite rainy day activities)
5. plant a garden (flowers, veggies, herbs, whatever your family likes) Local Community Gardens (for those who don't have their own space)
6. break out the sidewalk chalk
7. go for a walk and have a picnic
8. read a book under a tree
9. visit a new playground or park (there are a lot to explore on our site!)
10. go bird watching (a great GTA resource of where to go and what to look for)
11. host a scavenger hunt
12. craft a spring crown or bracelet
13. create a backyard obstacle course
14. host a backyard science experiment day
15. start your #Canada150 Participaction 150 Play List (there are PRIZES!)
16. cuddle with baby animals at a local farm (some local Durham Region petting farms you can visit: Wild Things Petting Farm;  Lionel's Farm;  WindReach Farm)

Remember, do not make the list too long as it may seem impossible to accomplish before you start a Summer Playground Bucket List!

We wanted to check out as many outdoor activities as we could this March Break, so we started with a local Maple Syrup farm.

Willowtree Farm located just outside of Port Perry offered a quieter atmosphere than some of the larger Maple Syrup festival farms we have been to in Durham Region in the past years. It was great for small kids on a cold day since it's not that large and there isn't a lot of walking through the maple trees involved.

Sugarbush Tours as part of Willowtree Farm Maplefest
Dates: March 10-March 19th, 2017
Hours: 10am-3pm (for the Sugarbush Tours
Cost: $10 per person (ages 2 and over), with other activities for additional fees
Location: see map below

We started the morning with a 10 minutes bumpy tractor ride out to the Sugarbush. It was great having blankets to stay warm on the wagon since it was pretty cold today! Once we got to the Sugarbush, the first thing we did was roast and eat marshmallows to warm up around the fire. Then we headed out into the trees for a 5 minute guided educational tour about maple syrup. It probably could have been longer, but a 3 year old doesn't generally ask a lot of questions when they are shy. The highlight for me was in the Sugar-shack where we took a peek inside the distiller, tasted raw maple tree sap, and refined distilled maple syrup (straight from the distiller tap!). Delicious! We headed back to the fire to warm up and wait for the tractor wagon to return, and roasted more marshmallows. Then we got a demonstration of wood burning a maple tree 'cookie' with a branding iron! 

Ella's favorite part was warming up by the fire at the Sugar-shack and eating the marshmallows. After enjoying the outdoors and our wagon ride back to the main building, we took our time shopping in the store (they have small carts just for pint sized shoppers!). There are a tonne of products from the farm itself, as well as an array of other local items for sale. The maple cookies and cupcakes were just the perfect sweet ending to our adventures today.