It’s happening. Once the calendar flips to March, we can rightfully claim that it’s the beginning of the end of winter. Yes, we still get snow and negative double-digits well into April and sometimes May, but the third month means Spring, like Aslan, is on the move.

And one of the most gratifying things about my long walks outside in spring has to be the puddles, lightly frozen over, that are oh so satisfying to crunch my way through – as long as I am wearing waterproof shoes. What is it about frozen puddles, or melted puddles, that make for such fun for kids? And adults? I think it might be the hidden delight of being about to shatter something with no consequences other than a wet sock if you misjudge the depth of said puddle.

Maybe it’s just all that wonderful water. In the spring, it abounds, causing floods and havoc and deep moisture, a promise for future greenery. When the ice and snow starts to melt, it thaws out our souls as well. Maybe that’s why I get playful in the puddles in the spring.

When I was younger, we had a culvert that crossed under the road near our driveway on the farm. When the spring runoff happened, I would spend hours splashing in the water that came tumbling out one end or throwing sticks in the other, then racing across the road to see if I could beat it. Not unlike the famous game of Poohsticks that Winnie-the-Pooh played with his friend Piglet.

I had such good memories of playing in the water in the spring that when I had my three little boys, I was happy to allow them to wade through the swimming pools that formed in the ditches beside our acreage. They would tread carefully at first, breaking the ice, but then eventually they would start wading through, filling up their boots with water. When they got cold enough, we headed into the house for a hot bath – back when all three of them could still fit in the tub together – and then hot chocolate to warm the outside, then the inside.

It’s here, but it’s a limited time only. Get on your boots. Get out there and have a splash. It might freeze your toes but that’s the price of a little fun sometimes. And it’s worth it for the hot chocolate after.