During April, the days transition into warm sunshine, brilliant colors and sweet fragrances. Get out your walking shoes and cameras as you initiate multigenerational activities with your family. You do not need to leave Cincinnati in order to partake in two magnificent spring day excursions. Young and old alike will be enchanted by the display of tulips at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and the weeping cherry tree groves at Ault Park. Visiting these sites is a perfect April family outing. Combine walking and driving with family members in beautiful park settings while taking family photographs. Encourage children to click their cameras as they observe the breathtaking beauty of the blooming flowers and trees. At the same time, you can capture photos of the children enjoying a perfect spring day with you.
Tulips at Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
Experience one of the largest tulip displays in the world at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. This annual exhibit takes place this year April 1-30th. Enjoy this magnificent explosion of color as you view displays of tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, flowering trees and shrubs. See concentrations of yellow, red and purple as the flowers burst into bloom.
This special exhibit is included in the zoo admission, which varies by day and age of persons. It is possible to plan an entire day at the zoo and be treated to viewing both the animals and the beautiful spring flowers. A free Tunes and Blooms concert is an extra bonus with the admission ticket on Thursday nights in April.
Cherry Blossom Trees
Blooming cherry trees can be observed at no cost at several locations. Ault Park’s weeping cherry tree groves are a spectacular sight. This is a favorite spot for families taking engagement and graduation photographs. Additional local places for viewing cherry trees are Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum and Eden Park. All three of these sites are accessible by walking or driving through the area. If walking is a problem for a family member, driving through these three sites offers an alternative way to view spring’s beauty together. In addition to the blooming cherry blossoms, these sites have magnolias and dogwood trees that bloom in the spring. Whether walking or driving, there is not an admission fee to enjoy these bursts of beauty in our community.
Passover Holiday
Passover is a highly celebrated Jewish holiday. Families embrace this holiday, finding meaning as it relates to both the past and present. Around your Passover table are often your immediate family and friends. It is a holiday when families extend the warmth of their home to their neighbors. Sometimes families share the reading aloud of the Haggadah with others at the table, making everyone feel included.
Grandparents and parents take this opportunity to prepare special family Passover recipes with your children. These dishes help to demonstrate that throughout history, relatives residing around the world have brought their heritage into the holiday. Prepare together the family’s charoset recipe as an intergenerational activity. This symbolic food on the Sedar plate may include apples, figs, pomegranates, grapes, walnuts, saffron and cinnamon. The exact ingredients and spice vary depending upon the country of origin. No matter which recipe, your charoset typically becomes the tradition in your household. Children will be pleased as the family consumes with pleasure their prepared dish.
The choice of a Haggadah varies among families. This presents an opportunity to engage family members with a meaningful Seder service. The service retells the liberation of Israelites from Egypt while providing a framework for discussion and reflection. Today there are different Haggadah to choose from including traditional, simplified, illustrated and thematic. This permits families to choose a Haggadah that they think best fits their family situation. In all cases, it is the family joining together that brings joy and meaning to the holiday.
Joan welcomes your comments and ideas.
parentingplus@americanisralite.com
