This winter has been a rollercoaster of freezing temperatures, to warm, and back to freezing. October was interrupted by cold weather, cutting our warm weather activities off early before getting a brief chance again with the rising temperatures in December. Now that the blizzard season from January is over and cool weather is making a comeback, people are itching to get back outside in the sun. I’m going to give you a few ideas that might provide a little motivation for some early spring fun.
Tennis
An interesting start to this article but a better idea than it sounds. It doesn’t take a professional athlete to have fun with a little tennis. Grab a friend or 3, go find some courts, and choose between following standard tennis rules or just hitting the ball as hard as you can. There are many places to pick from in the Quad City area that let you use their tennis courts for free, such as the Free Public Tennis Court of Davenport or Riverside Park in Moline. If you have a racket and that popular dog toy, this could be the perfect activity for you.
Hiking
This is an activity that doesn’t need warm weather to be enjoyable but definitely can be easier to have fun with when you’re comfortable in the sun. As the frost starts to die down and spring starts to take effect, all of your favorite hiking spots are becoming more full of beautiful, nature scenery. For example, although the trails may be icy this time of year, the waterfalls at Starved Rock in Oglesby, Illinois are going strong with the melting of this winter’s snow. More fun places to explore trails are Scott County Park right here in Eldridge, Black Hawk Forest trails in Rock Island, and the Illiniwek Forest Preserve in Hampton, Illinois.
Biking
This is another cardio-related activity that might require a little warmer weather than the last—especially if you’re going trail biking. Similar to tennis, this one requires a bit of equipment before you dive in. If you plan to bike through your neighborhood or maybe through town, all you’ll need is a good bike with some air in its tires. However, if you’re the adventurous type and want to try your hand at biking the trails, I highly recommend a helmet and a little more clothing than a tank top and shorts. Biking through the woods can be beautiful but should not be taken lightly as a leisurely task if you’re a beginner.
Baseball
This one might seem crazier than tennis if you’re not already a player but this can be another fun experience for amateurs. If you know a place with an empty diamond and you’ve got a bat and ball in storage, this could be your new favorite summer pastime. You don’t need a whole team to enjoy this activity, you can even have fun with only one friend, just get ready for a lot of running. However, if you have a few friends or family who are interested, you could start your own little team to play with, and if you don’t have an interest in baseball—or the materials—another sport commonly played on a baseball diamond is kickball. The only material required for this activity is a ball to kick.
Since [its] humble beginning, kickball grew to be an international game for all ages – World Kickball Association
Cruising
You might be thinking that just driving around town is something anyone could do at any time. However, you aren’t thinking about summer cruising. Now I know it’s not summer yet, but once the weather starts warming up there won’t be anything more relaxing than driving around, day or night, with the windows down in your car and the nice breeze coming in that you’ve missed since that first day of winter. In a small town, most kids' favorite thing to do is just drive around with their friends, and now that spring is upon us, this activity just got a whole lot better. You can be solo or have a packed car, you could listen to your playlists or the sound of your friends chatting from the passenger and back seats. Rise or shine this is one of the easiest activities that make nights to remember.
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