Author: Kimberly “Kimi” Ramos, Executive Assistant Director
Our days are getting warmer and longer. That means spring is finally upon us!
To celebrate the new season, we created a spring-themed lesson plan including six ideas to ensure bounds of fun with your child. These activities are perfect for developing language, social, and motor skills in young children at home.
#1) Song: “Spring is Here” (5 minutes)
This song uses simple vocabulary and lyrics to teach children about things they might see in spring. Have children listen to and/or watch the music video. After listening or watching, ask your child, “How do you know spring is here?” and have them recall elements from the song.
#2) Introduction: Spring Sensory Scavenger Hunt (15 minutes)
The Spring Scavenger Hunt is a unique way to get kids interacting with the outdoors. This activity involves asking your child questions that prompt them to notice details about the world around them. It’s best done while in your yard or while going on a walk around your neighborhood or the park.
Questions to ask your child and possible answers:
What do you see in the spring? Plants growing, trees turning green, worms crawling
What do you smell in the spring? Flowers blooming, mowed grass, soil in the garden after a rain
What do you taste in the spring? Fruits, ice cream, chocolate eggs
What do you hear in the spring? Birds singing, bees buzzing, rain pattering
What do you feel in the spring? Rain falling, sun beaming, wind blowing
#3) Warm-Ups: Spring Actions (10 minutes)
This activity involves giving your child simple directions to activate their listening skills and warm up their bodies. This will also foster age-level vocabulary and imagination.
To incorporate spring imagery, cut out flower shapes in different color construction paper. Next, attach each flower to a popsicle stick to resemble a stem. Then, write each of the following actions on a flower cut-out. Lastly, place the flowers in a small flower pot or stick them into the ground in your backyard. Have your child pick a flower and they must complete the instruction on it. Model the action for your child to follow or encourage them to use their imagination to think of what each action looks like.
Spring actions:
Leap like a frog
Waddle like a duck
Fly like a bird
March like ants
Reach like a tree
Grow like a flower
Spin like a pinwheel
Arch like a rainbow
Fall like the rain
Blow like the wind
Jump in the puddle
Rise like the sun
#4) Dance: “Springtime Dance” (5 minutes)
This fun and upbeat song and dance includes a simple spring-themed routine that children of all skill levels can do.
#5) Story Time: “Planting a Rainbow” (10 minutes)
“Planting a Rainbow” is a vibrant and bright book that tells the story about a child and their mother’s love for gardening in the springtime. This story is a fun way to expand vocabulary and teach colors, the plant life cycle, and names of plants and flowers.
“Planting a Rainbow” Read Aloud Video
#6) Action song: “Making a garden” (5 minutes)
This action song is the perfect activity to follow our “Planting a Rainbow” story time and can be completed in a sitting position on the floor. It includes simple actions that children can see and copy. Actions include digging a hole, planting a seed, watering it, seeing it grow, and picking a flower. My favorite part is the cute chorus: “Making a garden we all can share!”