With Spring here it’s time to get outdoors and enjoy all the benefits nature has to offer!
Since having a child I have discovered a new found appreciation for the change of seasons. A child has the power to bring our awareness right to the present, to the little things we often miss. They notice the small and big details of all that is living and growing around us. It’s also a perfect time to deepen a child’s understanding and nurture their appreciation for the changing of seasons, the re-birth of life, flowers, insects, birds, worms, rainbows, puddles, and so much more.
So here are a few of our favorite nature-inspired Spring activities:
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With life in full bloom, scavenger hunts are the perfect way to get outside in nature and explore, bringing your little one’s attention to nature’s myriad treasures. We love this printout by Multisori, the Montessori-inspired homeschool curriculum I use to supplement my daughter’s education.
Don’t forget your little one’s binoculars and a small bag, pouch or container to store all the little treasures your child collects.
Spring is the perfect time to start a garden, or simply plant some herbs for your balcony with your little one. It will give you both something you can care for and watch grow together. It will also help strengthen your little one’s bond with nature and increase appreciation for the natural world.
This kids’ gardening kit comes with everything you need to get started, including a variety of seeds and an illustrated booklet with step-by-step instructions to make it easy and fun to learn how to grow your little garden.
It’s always a good idea to signal the arrival of a new season by including seasonal items in your prepared environment. Bring home some fresh flowers and invite your little one to help you with a flower arrangement. Then let them decide where to place it.
This classic Montessori practical life activity helps develop practical life skills such as pouring or using a funnel, and is great to strengthen both fine and gross motor skills (control of movement and hand-eye coordination in particular). But that’s not all. Flower arranging also strengthens cognitive skills, requiring the child to learn a sequence and concentrate. Plus, it’s great for the senses as flowers look and smell great.
If you have a small child be sure to prepare the flowers ahead of time. Start by simply inviting the child to pour the water into the vase and then place the flowers in it. To set your child up for success, be sure to provide a pitcher that is also appropriately sized. You can view some of our recommended options here.
For an older child, you can include a funnel to increase difficulty and scissors to practice cutting the leaves. Be sure to gradually increase the number of steps so as to give your child a chance to scaffold skills and learn the sequence.
When those flowers start to wilt, put them in a bin with water and let your child make flower soup. If they love water play then they will love this activity!
It is a simple way to repurpose a wilted or dried bouquet and makes for a sensory-rich experience. The child can enjoy filling and emptying the pots, mixing, and using the strainer and colander to pick up the petals.
If you don’t already have one, this set of pretend play pots and pans by Melissa & Doug is perfect for this activity.
In addition to its calming effect, this type of water play helps children develop fine motor skills, practical life skills, concentration and early math concepts such as full/empty.
You can also press the flowers you collected with your little one(s). There are beautiful wooden flower presses on the market, but if you don’t have one you can simply use a heavy book. We use parchment paper to prevent contact with the book pages and it usually takes between 2-4 weeks for the flowers to dry. Once dried, they look beautiful in arts and crafts projects.
Another way to use those wilting petals is to let your child mix them up in their playdough. Here we coupled it with butterfly cutters but any flower or insect-themed cutters (or any other ideas you may have) would work well too.
If you have colored petals, keep it simple with white playdough to allow the color of the petals to come through in a burst of color and texture, making it more fun to manipulate.
For our preferred homemade playdough recipe, please check this post.
Go for a walk with your little one and using binoculars try to find different birds native to your area. Or simply watch what they are up to. This offers you and your little one an opportunity to get some fresh air, enjoy the outdoors and connect with the slower pace of the natural world.
A printout with birds native to your area that your little one is likely to see makes for a fun bird scavenger hunt. The one pictured here is by Montessori Inspired Learning. For older children you can also have a journal for them to write their observations.
There are many ways you can make a bird feeder. We like to keep it simple and use a pinecone. All you need is a pinecone, some string, peanut butter and bird feed.
Start by tying the string around the pinecone and then get your little one(s) to spread the peanut butter onto the pinecone. This part can be a bit messy but it is so worth it! Then roll your peanut buttery pinecone in the bird seed. Take it outside, hang it on a tree and wait for the birds to come and feed. My daughter gets so excited when they finally come!
Get your waterproof coats and boots on and enjoy a little play in the rain. Your inner child will thank you later. We often dislike getting caught in the rain but if you go out there intentionally with the right gear you can actually really enjoy the experience!
Look for puddles to stomp on, and the rainbows and snails that come out afterwards. These spontaneous “play in the rain” moments with you can actually become your child’s core childhood memories.
Keep it simple by going for a picnic. You get to enjoy fresh air and there is always tons of exploring for your little one(s) to do out in nature.
Pack up a few of their favorite snacks – let them help you with the preparations – and head out to your picnic location. We live seaside so we often go for picnics at the beach.
Afterwards, my daughter loves to make “sand cakes”. Choose a somewhat secluded location if you can. These moments make for the best childhood memories!
Happy Spring exploring!
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