Springtime activities

Springtime activities

The sun is getting warmer, the snow is melting, the birds are chirping...hooray for springtime!

It's time to put away our winter hats and mittens and replace them with lighter jackets and rain boots. Children are happy to spend more time outside, pedal their tricycles and bicycles, and play in the sandbox.

Of course, springtime can also be celebrated indoors on rainy days. It's the perfect time to explore flowers, spring cleaning, and birds with children. These themes may inspire you to organize fun activities that will make spending quality time together as a family or group possible.

Here are a few suggestions that can be particularly interesting during spring.

0-12 months old

• Wind is often quite present during springtime. Gently blow on different body parts to represent wind. Name the corresponding body parts by saying, "The wind is blowing on your toes, on your face, on your back, etc."
• Let children manipulate a flower. Give children their pacifier so they won't be tempted to put the flower or flower parts in their mouth. Give each child a colourful flower and encourage them to smell it, manipulate it, and touch it.
• Mix light paint colors with baby shampoo. The mixture will have a "foamy" texture. Invite little ones to spread the paint on large pieces of paper using their hands. The texture of this paint is very interesting for young children; it is quite slippery.

12-24 months old

• Go for a walk in your neighbourhood. Make frequent stops to provide children with the opportunity to explore nature.
• Give each child a paper plate and have them paint it yellow to represent a sun. Draw eyes, a nose and a mouth on each child's plate. Let children hang their sun within the daycare.
• Fill a spray bottle with water. During bath time or outdoors, let children manipulate the bottle and show them how they can spray water to represent rain.
• Purchase a variety of vibrant plastic flowers. Fill a container with the flowers and let children manipulate them as they wish.

2-3 years old

• Pick spring's first flowers and use them to make a pretty bouquet.
• Exceptionally, let children splash around in puddles. This activity never gets old! Make sure children understand that this is a special activity and that normally, they are not allowed to play in the puddles since they can (and will) get very wet.
• Provide small watering cans and let children be in charge of watering outdoor plants and flowers.
• Print a flower drawing for each child. Provide light tissue paper and have children tear and crumple tiny pieces they can use to fill the flower shape.
• Encourage children to participate in your outdoor spring cleaning. They can help you put winter equipment away. At this age, they are eager to be helpful!

3-4 years old

• Draw a rainbow on a large piece of paper. Let children color each section with the correct color.
• Create your own weather chart. Use a calendar and have children draw the correct pictogram each day (sun, cloud, rain, etc.).
• Let children help you with spring cleaning tasks. For example, you may encourage them to help you sort clothing items, toys, and other items in their room. Suggest they donate or give away items they no longer use or no longer fit.
• Provide small rakes and let children help you rake the lawn to remove any rocks or matter that appeared once the snow melted away.
• Provide brown poster paint and ask children to paint their hand. Once their hand is completely covered with paint, have them press it on a large piece of paper. Next, encourage them to use a paintbrush dipped in green poster paint to add buds to the branches. Display these paintings on a wall. Once the leaves begin to appear on the trees in your yard, have children transform the buds by painting leaves.

4-5 years old

• Plant seeds in vases, indoors. Tell children they are responsible for caring for their (future) plants every day.
• For each child, pour a drop of poster paint on a piece of waxed paper. Give children a drinking straw and encourage them to blow in it to spread the paint around on their paper and represent the wind. They will be impressed with the unique designs that will appear.
• Build a birdfeeder using a clean, dry milk carton. Make a hole and insert a Popsicle stick that can be used as a perch. Fill it with birdseed and hang it in a tree in your yard.

Have a wonderful spring!

Maude Dubé
Specialized child educator

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