Au pairs joined the crowds in City Park to enjoy a delightfully warm and sunny day heralding the arrival of spring.

March and April are great months to enjoy the outdoors in New Orleans. They are also the perfect time to engage kids in garden activities. Planting veggies, building a snail farm, digging for worms, or painting a rainbow trellis are just a few of many fun projects that will keep them busy and entertained. For inspiration and instructions you can visit:

http://spoonful.com/crafts/gardening-crafts-gallery

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/garden/

Also, for those of you who are not squeamish (kids seldom are) here is another activity: Building a snail farm.

http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/gardening-for-kids+31.htm

Build a Snail Farm

Get the kids outside and into the garden during the holidays and weekends with this fun kids activity. Building a snail farm is easy as you most likely already have everything you need sitting around the house. So get the kids ready for some slimy fun as you establish your farm today.

What you need:

• clear plastic bottle
• scissors
• clear tape
• soil
• lettuce or weeds

Activity:

Seal the bottle top onto the bottle.

Carefully cut a 10cm long and 5cm wide opening in the side of the plastic bottle.

Lie the bottle on its side with the opening at the top.

Place moistened soil and some lettuce or weeds inside the bottle.

Find some snails in your garden and place them in the bottle.

Tape over the opening with tape, but make sure to punch holes in the tape to allow for air.

Enjoy watching your snail farm for a few days before releasing your snails and replacing them with new ones.