Have you noticed it yet? The mornings are still frosty and the socks are still thick, but if you look closely, something cheerful is happening in gardens all over New Zealand. Little green shoots are pushing up through the cold ground, and the very first daffodils are about to burst open, bright and yellow and grinning like the sun.

Winter's nearly done its dash. Here's how to enjoy the turning of the seasons with the family — and a lovely reason to wear yellow at the end of the month.

Become a spring detective

Spring doesn't arrive all at once — it sneaks in bit by bit, and half the fun is catching it in the act. Head out on a "spring hunt" around your garden, street or local park and see what you can find: the first daffodils nodding in the breeze, fat buds on the trees getting ready to pop, blossom starting to appear as little pink and white flowers on bare branches, lambs in the paddocks if you're out of town, and birds getting busy and noisy as they start building nests.

Give everyone a job: one person counts the daffodils, another watches for blossom, someone else listens for birds. First to spot a lamb wins.

Plant something of your own

Nothing beats growing your own splash of spring. Daffodils grow from bulbs — funny little brown lumps that look a bit like onions — and they're wonderfully easy for small hands to plant. Pop one in a pot or a garden bed, cover it with soil, water it, and wait.

Even if you've missed the best planting window this year, it's a perfect moment to have a go with quick growers like sweet peas or a pot of herbs on the windowsill. Watching a seed you planted turn into a real, growing plant is one of childhood's great thrills — and it teaches a little patience, too.

Wear yellow for a good reason

Here's a date for the calendar: Friday 28 August is Daffodil Day, one of New Zealand's best-loved days of the year. Run by the Cancer Society, it uses the cheerful daffodil — the first flower of spring — as a symbol of hope, and raises money to help people affected by cancer and their families.

It's a gentle, kind thing to share with children. You might buy a fresh bunch of daffodils for the kitchen table, wear something yellow, pop a coin in a collector's bucket, or brighten someone's day with a flower. A small act, a big heart — and a lovely way to talk with kids about looking out for others.

Soak up the sunshine

After a long winter indoors, everyone's a bit ready for daylight — and spring is the reward. So this month, get outside, breathe in that fresh air, hunt for the first flowers, plant something hopeful, and wear a little yellow.

Winter gave it a good go. But spring always wins in the end. Enjoy every sunny minute of it!