Spring: 25 ideas to get you off the sofa and into the sunshine

Switch off

Longer evenings and more light mean you can save on your energy bills by leaving it later until lamps are switched on. And don't forget to adjust the timer on your central heating to reduce the amount of time it is on. Even better, make this the evening when you switch your heating off for summer. You'll save energy and save money. What's not to like?

Host your own happy hour

Forget bad two-for-one cocktails in your local. Bring back cocktail hour by hosting a happy hour of your own. Serve Pimm's on the lawn or, if you're feeling lazy, start your spring and summer as you mean to go on, by heading for your nearest beer garden. Visit www.beer-gardens.com to find a good one near you.

Take a dip

Warmer days mean it's time to dip your toe in the water. Take the plunge and go for a swim outdoors. There are a number of Lidos in Scotland, although most operate summer opening hours. However, if you head to the website for the Outdoor Swimming Society (www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com), you'll find a map of the UK marked with some of the best year-round swimming spots. These include lakes, ponds, rivers and tidal pools, as well as one "iconic swim" – the challenging 0.6 mile stretch of water between Jura and Scarba.

Wash yer windaes

As the evenings get longer and the sun gets higher in the sky, you may begin to notice just how much you've neglected your windows over winter. Sunshine streaming through them for the first time in months will only highlight how grimy they are, and, let's face it, no-one's up to the task of washing their windows regularly in the depths of winter. Grab a bucket, get outside and get them sparkling.

Simply soak up the sunlight

Exposure to the sun increases the body's natural production of vitamin D. Forget running around in the sun and just take a chair outside, grab a much-loved book and catch those rays.

Plant a vegetable patch

Vegetables can be planted throughout the year, but spring is a great time to get started and if you spend that extra hour of light gardening, you'll burn around 300 calories. Turnips, squash, courgettes and marrows are all great vegetables to plant at this time of year. If you don't have your own outdoor space, try an allotment. The Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society (www.sags.org.uk) is a great place to get started. Alternatively, you could plant your own herb garden in a kitchen window box. Now that the risk of frost has passed, you can start planting your favourite herbs in time to start harvesting them in May.

Fire up the barbecue

There's nothing quite like the first barbecue of the season. Put yourself in the mood for summer by firing it up tomorrow evening and enjoying a long leisurely meal. Remember, the sun won't set until around 7:40pm on Sunday, giving you plenty of time to knock up a potato salad and throw a few burgers on the barbie.

Get on your bike

The start of British Summer Time is a great time to resolve to cycle to and from work. Dust off your bike and brush up on your cycling skills by taking it for a leisurely spin tomorrow evening. Now is also a great time to take your bike to a cycle shop to get it checked out. Grease Monkey Cycles (www.greasemonkeycycles.com) in Edinburgh will collect and deliver your bike for you, and can offer you a courtesy bike while your own one is being serviced.

Raid nature's larder

Returning to your hunter-gatherer roots and foraging in the great British countryside for your supper, is cheap and adventurous. Asparagus, morels, oyster mushrooms and stinging nettles are all in season at the moment, and they're easy to find when you know where to look. Visit www.foragingguide.com for advice on how to pick mushrooms safely and head to www.wildmanwildfood.com to find out how to cook your spoils.

Start your spring clean

You may have been putting it off, but now is the time to get the dreaded spring clean out of the way. Not the most exciting way to spend the first light evening of the year, we know, but it will free you up to enjoy all those light evenings to come.

Answer the call of the wild

Head out into the sunshine and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature in the spring. Now is the time to look for birds returning for the summer, and to start listening out for songbirds. Seabirds are beginning to nest, butterflies and woodland flowers are starting to emerge and hedgerows are in leaf.

Go searching for frogspawn

Heading out to your nearest pond and nabbing some frogspawn has been a childhood rite of passage for generations. Now is the time to spot spawn, but experts don't recommend that you take it, as moving it can spread disease in the frog population. Taking the kids searching for spawn is still fun, however, and with bumblebees and ladybirds also emerging at this time of year, now's the time to take the family on a nature walk.

Become a guerilla gardener

Gardening doesn't have to be dull. Even if you don't have your own garden, you can wage war on grey concrete and brighten up the urban space around you by hurling a few seed bombs. Head to www.nigelsecostore.com to stock up on your weaponry. There you'll find clay flower grenades, which contain wildflower seeds and soil. Throw them and turn dull spaces into colourful meadows.

Get to know your neighbours

We all resolve to get to know our neighbours better, but we rarely get around to it. The beginning if summer is the perfect time to have a natter over the fence. Feeling shy? Visit www.myneighbourhoods.co.uk to search for neighbours in your area.

Make a daisychain

The quintessential way to while away a summer's evening, making a daisychain is simple and fun, and with daisies beginning to come into season, now is the time to get practising. See how long a chain you can make in an hour or set out to break the world record, an impressive 2.12km chain of them, set by the residents of Good Easter in Essex in 1985.

Clean out your car

Boring, but it's never a job we tackle in the winter. Starting the summer with a sparkling car is a great feeling, plus getting rid of all the junk which accumulates over winter reduces weight and therefore decreases your petrol consumption. Check oil and tyres while you're at it.

Mow the lawn

If only because it's sure to give you the warm and fuzzy summery feelings. Start your summer with a freshly cut lawn and cheer up your neighbours with the smell of cut grass, the quintessential summer scent.

Go walking

Simple and easy, it may be the most obvious thing to do on, but it's also one of the best. Set out from your front door, alone or with a loved one and explore your local area with a 60-minute stroll. You'll burn 160-470 calories per hour, depending on how fast you go.

Sleep in

With the useful extra hour of light in the evenings, the pressure's off to get up early and make the most of the light. Forget dragging yourself out of bed in the wee hours and have a long, luxurious lie-in. It's lighter later so you can still make the most of the day.

Watch the sun go down

You've spent most of the winter missing it, so as that extra hour of light peters away, set yourself up in the best spot to watch your first sunset of spring.

Make your summer resolutions

January is the worst time of year to make any resolutions. Cold, bloated and surrounded by darkness, we're utterly devoid of willpower in the depths of winter. So why not make your summer resolutions today, and kick them off tomorrow? From getting fit to improving your diet, spring is the best time to make a start on the new you.

Strip off

If you're brave enough to get your kit off in the harsh light of day, then why not strip off and enjoy an evening at one of the designated naturist beaches in Scotland. There a number of suitable beaches around the country, and you can find the one nearest you at nakedscotland.org.uk

Tire out the dog

Dogwalkers can take their mutts for a mammoth walk tomorrow. If your usual evening walk lasts an hour, try giving Fido a treat and doubling it.

Take up a new sport

From rowing to rugby, there are plenty of sports which are best enjoyed in the spring and summer and can be played after work during long, light evenings. Cancel your gym membership and try something new.

See some art

There's no point in being holed up in a gallery of an evening if it's light out, and they're rarely open past around 5pm. Spend the evening taking in some of Scotland's public art instead. For example, in Edinburgh, stroll along the Water of Leith and try to spot all six of the Antony Gormley statues. Visit www.waterofleith.org.uk for details.