March 20 was the official beginning of the spring season, but there is still plenty of time to enjoy spring in Kansas City. Leaving the dreary winter and entering sunny days is the perfect opportunity to get outside and explore. Spring can be a stressful time for college students with final exams looming, so taking time to enjoy yourself can be a great way to de-stress. Here are some ways to enjoy the season:

1. Farmer’s Markets

The farmer’s market in City Market, located in downtown Kansas City, is an excellent way to enjoy the warm weather and support local businesses. There are a variety of vendors that sell fresh and local produce, plants and handcrafted items on Saturday mornings. The atmosphere is fun and lively with great food, making it an enjoyable weekend outing. After walking around the stalls to shop, you can also grab a coffee or lunch at the surrounding restaurants. There are plenty of authentic restaurants and food markets that offer a variety of cultural cuisines. 

1. Plan a picnic

Setting up a picnic outside is a fun way to take in the sunshine and relax. Planning a picnic with your friends is easy and a great photo op too. You can make or buy some food, set up a blanket and chill. There are endless locations for a great picnic including the Nelson-Atkins Museum Sculpture Park, Loose Park and William Jewell College’s campus. You can catch up with friends, read or just take a moment to breathe.

1. Visit a botanical garden

Spending time around nature and beautiful flowers is sure to lift your mood and help you appreciate the earth. Spring is the perfect time to see flowers bloom before it gets hot outside. There are a variety of gardens in the Kansas City area. Some of the most popular are The Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden, Powell Gardens and Overland Park Botanical Gardens. 

1. Cheer on the Kansas City Royals

Springtime means baseball is in season. Cheer on the Kansas City’s Royals at the Kauffman Stadium as they begin their season April 7. Enjoying a baseball game with friends is the perfect way to have fun and enjoy the day. Even if you’re not a big sports fan, baseball games have a great atmosphere and food. 

1. Volunteer in the local community

This spring is the perfect opportunity to get outside and help out the local community through volunteer work. Earth Day is in April and is a reminder to take care of the environment. You can volunteer through KC Parks to assist with litter cleanups, gardening and landscaping and park beautification. It only takes a couple of hours to make a difference in your community. You can see other volunteer opportunities here. 

1. Pickleball

Pickleball is a fun sport for players of all abilities. It’s super easy to pick up and fun to play with 2-4 players. The nice weather is ideal for trying pickleball or perfecting your game. Chicken N Pickle, in North Kansas City, has many outdoor courts available for rental. You can also enjoy food and drink after your game in the lively outdoor spaces. 

Quarantine has brought me a surplus of free time, and social distancing has left me with very limited options for entertainment. When I finally decide to drag myself out from under my covers and pursue some form of stimulation, I will often partake in one the following activities: 

Picnics 

If I can call packing picnic fare, searching around my house for a blanket, scouring the park for a good spot and eating outside a hobby, then going on picnics is my primary hobby. Though I have long been an avid fan of picnic food and spending time outdoors, quarantine has given me time and heightened my appreciation for being outside my house. As of late, when I feel particularly down, I will pack a book, a blanket, some fruit, some cheese, something I have baked recently and head to a local park. 

Sunrise picnics are my particular favorite. I am decidedly a night owl and I do not usually see the sunrise, but occasionally I will set my alarm for 5:45 a.m., brew some coffee in my thermos, grab a muffin and drive to the lake near my house. It is quiet and peaceful, and every single time, I will wish that I could be a morning person and have those still moments every day. The middle-aged power walking ladies are also usually there around 6:30 a.m., and they will smile and wave at me as I consume my coffee. I usually see a dog or two and I will usually shamelessly tempt them with my muffin in the hope that they might come over and let me pet them. I have had one success with it – Chip, the black lab, was very excited and tried to drink my coffee. Chip’s owner was very embarrassed, and I was thrilled. 

Paper Folding

It seems that moving back to my childhood bedroom has spurred in me the strange desire to pick up the hobby I had as a 9-year-old. Midway into quarantine, I found myself perusing Amazon for origami paper. How did I get into paper folding as a child? I absolutely have no idea, but 9-year-old me spent a rather embarrassing amount of time constructing animals and flowers out of paper. At 21 years old, I can now only remember how to make a paper crane without instructions. However, quarantine has given me an unwanted amount of time, and now I am relearning how to make a paper tulip as I watch cooking documentaries on Netflix. 

Pen Pals

Many of my peers can confirm that going from being constantly surrounded by friends to only speaking to them over the phone has been inexpressibly challenging. I have sorely felt the empty spaces that had once been filled by people that I love to spend time with, but sending and receiving letters has somehow filled those spaces a little bit. I have guilted my friends into being my penpals, and it has been rather successful so far – I usually average around three or four letters a week. I usually like to ask my pen pals questions about their personalities or their likes and dislikes in each letter, and I have been delighted to find that I am learning new things about my friends. As a side effect of having pen pals, I am now obsessed with buying stationery – a gratifying but somewhat pricey consequence. 

Pâtisserie

It seems that everyone and their mom has taken up baking because there is a decided shortage of instant yeast in the baking section of my grocery store. I, too, have found myself joining the ranks of people trying new recipes and have found an excellent time diversion. For pastry items, I have been making rugelach, cream puffs and mini berry lemon tarts. The tarts were especially excellent as blueberry, strawberry and lemon is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Though not categorized as patisserie, I have also enjoyed making bread. Last week, I quite loudly rejoiced in my small neighborhood grocery store as I spied one lone bag of yeast on the shelf. If you happen to have yeast and want to try your hand at bread making, I would recommend this recipe for Jalapeño Cheddar bread. Savory bread is heavenly, and this bread is excellent for grilled cheese sandwiches.