Let’s get ready to explore the wonders of spring with preschoolers! The spring season provides young minds with many opportunities to discover, learn, and play, from sensory adventures to nature play, art, and scientific explorations! Our preschool spring activities guide will immerse you in the delightful world of spring with easy, tried-and-tested activities!
Tips For Creating A Preschool Spring Theme
Engaging preschoolers in Spring-themed learning activities can be both fun and educational. Here are our tips to make these activities enjoyable and effective.
1. Keep it Simple
Choose activities that are age-appropriate and easy to understand. Preschoolers have short attention spans, so keep instructions simple and provide plenty of hands-on exploration.
2. Embrace Messiness
Spring activities often involve getting dirty or messy, and that’s okay! Allow preschoolers to explore and play freely, knowing messes can be cleaned up later.
3. Follow Their Lead
Let preschoolers take the lead in choosing activities and exploring their interests. Encourage them to ask questions and make discoveries on their own.
4. Stay Flexible
Be prepared to adapt plans based on the weather or children’s interests. If it starts raining during a nature walk, embrace the opportunity to jump in puddles instead!
5. Encourage Curiosity
Use spring activities to spark curiosity and encourage learning. Ask open-ended questions, provide opportunities for exploration, and praise children’s discoveries.
6. Include Sensory Experiences
Incorporate sensory elements into activities to engage preschoolers’ senses. Let them feel different textures, smell flowers, listen to birdsong, and observe the beauty of nature up close.
7. Promote Independence
Encourage preschoolers to take on age-appropriate tasks independently, whether watering plants, collecting materials for a craft, or helping set up for a picnic.
8. Extend Learning Opportunities
Use spring activities as springboards for further learning. For example, a nature walk can lead to discussions about plant life cycles, while gardening can teach children about responsibility and growth.
9. Have Fun!
Most importantly, have fun and enjoy spending time outdoors with preschoolers. Embrace the wonder and excitement of spring through their eyes and create lasting memories together.
Free Printable Spring Theme Bingo Games
Spring Science Activities
Click on each activity below for the full supply list and instructions. You can also check out all our free Spring printables.
Bubble Play: Set up a bubble station outdoors and let preschoolers blow bubbles to their hearts’ content. For added fun, experiment with different bubble wands.
Coloring Celery: Observe how water moves up through a plant with this simple food coloring celery experiment.
How Does Rain Form: Spring science doesn’t get much simpler than a sponge and a cup of water to explore how rain forms.
Make Rainbows: Explore light and refraction when you make a rainbow using a variety of simple supplies, including a flashlight and a prism.
Rain Gauge: Make a simple DIY rain gauge and take it outdoors to measure the amount of rainfall in your local area.
Shadow Tracing: On sunny days, trace the shadows of objects like leaves, toys, or hands onto paper with sidewalk chalk. Discuss how shadows change throughout the day due to the sun’s position.
Shaving Foam Rain Clouds: A fun way to demonstrate how rain clouds form.
Sun Prints: Introduce preschoolers to solar energy by making sun prints. Place objects like leaves or flowers on light-sensitive paper and expose them to sunlight to create unique prints.
Wind Vane: Make a wind vane or weather vane and take it outdoors! It’s a simple yet effective tool for understanding the basics of wind direction
Weather Journal: Start a weather journal with preschoolers to record daily weather observations. Discuss the differences between sunny, cloudy, rainy, and windy days.
Nature Activities
Bird Feeder Making: Create simple bird feeders using pinecones, peanut butter, and birdseed. Hang them in the garden and observe visiting birds.
Bug Hunt: Explore the backyard or a nearby park for bugs. Use child-friendly bug catchers and magnifying glasses for a closer look.
Bug Hotel Construction: Build a bug hotel using recycled materials like cardboard tubes, pinecones, and small boxes. Discuss the importance of providing habitats for insects in the garden ecosystem.
Butterfly Watching: Teach children about the life cycle of butterflies by observing them in gardens or by setting up a butterfly kit at home.
Nature Discovery Bottles: What will you find in your backyard to add to your nature bottles? These science discovery bottles would be a great activity for a group setting for many kids to use.
Nature Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of spring-related items for preschoolers to find during a nature scavenger hunt. Include flowers, leaves, and animal tracks.
Nature Table: Set up a nature investigation table for preschool science. Give your kids opportunity to experiment and observe the natural world around them with simple materials.
Nature Walks: Take leisurely walks in parks or nature reserves. Encourage children to observe budding flowers, chirping birds, and emerging insects.
Planting Seeds: Let preschoolers experience the magic of growth by planting seeds in pots or a small garden patch. Sunflowers, beans, or easy-to-grow herbs are great choices.
Seed Germination Experiment: Set up a simple experiment to observe how seeds germinate. Use clear plastic cups, paper towels, and seeds like beans or peas. Preschoolers can witness the stages of germination firsthand.
Spring Art Projects
Get creative with spring-themed art projects. Think finger painting flowers, making tissue paper butterflies, or crafting colorful rainbows.
Blow Painting: Straws instead of paintbrushes? Absolutely! Have fun blowing into a straw to paint a masterpiece.
Bubble Wrap Painting: Dip bubble wrap in paint and press it onto paper to create textured patterns. Experiment with different colors and techniques for interesting effects.
Bumble Bee Craft: Learn about the amazing life of bees and make your own bee craft for a fun and colorful spring activity.
Color Mixing: Explore the magic of colors by mixing primary colors to create secondary colors. Use paint, food coloring, or colored water in transparent containers for a hands-on experience.
Handprint Flowers: Make a bouquet of these unique and colorful handprint flowers.
Ladybug Craft: Learn about the importance of ladybugs in the garden and make this fun ladybug craft.
Nature Weaving: Create looms using sticks and yarn, then weave in natural materials like grass, twigs, and flowers to make nature-inspired tapestries.
Rainbow In A Bag Painting: Squishy, mess free painting in a bag in the colors of the rainbow.
Rainbow Art: Our rainbow art is easy to set up and fun to do with preschoolers. Plus, they will have the opportunity to learn about the tape resist process.
Rainbow Coloring Sheet: Use as a coloring page that is perfect for preschoolers and older kids! As a bonus, it comes with 5 other spring theme templates!!
Rainbow Coffee Filter Craft: This coffee filter rainbow craft is excellent for even the non-crafty kiddos. Explore simple science and art with a colorful take on coffee filter soluble science.
Rain Painting: Embrace rainy days with activities like making rain paintings.
Sensory Art Stations: Set up sensory art stations with sand, watercolors, clay, and fabric scraps. Preschoolers can explore different textures and mediums to create tactile artworks.
Sidewalk Chalk Art: Take creativity to the sidewalks with vibrant chalk art. Encourage preschoolers to draw flowers, butterflies, or hopscotch games.
Springtime Stamping: Use spring-themed stamps or found objects like leaves and flowers to create stamped artwork. Preschoolers can explore patterns and symmetry while stamping.
Tissue Paper Butterflies: Spring is not only the perfect time to find butterflies in the garden but it is a great time to make this tissue paper butterfly craft.
Spring Sensory Play
Bug Playdough Mats: Bugs are everywhere and help our planet thrive! Get kids to make bugs from playdough and be introduced to the life cycles of different bugs, from caterpillars to flies and ladybugs!
Butterfly Sensory Bin: Whether you want to explore the butterfly’s life cycle or simply enjoy a spring theme, create a simple butterfly sensory bin!
Clean Mud Play: Mud, glorious mud! But with a twist! Clean mud or ghost mud is the perfect way to keep kids busy and exploring with their senses this spring.
Colored Sand Sensory Bin: Bursting with color, this gorgeous sensory bin hits the nail on the head for a must-try preschool spring activity.
Earth Day Playdough Mat: Learn about recycling with this Earth Day playdough mat! This fun mat consists of a recycling lesson teaching kids about the importance of recycling for protecting the Earth!
Flower Discovery Bottle: Create a fun flower sensory bottle with real flowers.
Flower Playdough Mat: What does a flower need to grow? Use homemade playdough and the printable flower playdough mat to learn what plants need!
Flower Sensory Bin: Colored rice, fake flowers and a surprise math puzzle hidden within this sensory bin for engaging preschool math.
Flower Water Sensory Bin: A fun way to explore real flowers with preschoolers.
Magic Mud: Make your own cornstarch mud for hands-on sensory play indoors or outdoors. Magic mud or oobleck mud is the perfect way to keep kids busy and exploring with their senses at the same time.
Nature Sensory Bin: Make a simple sensory bin with finds from nature.
Pond Life Playdough Mats: These spring playdough mats explore the different types of animals that live in a pond with fun facts about each one!
Spring Garden Sensory Bin: Fill a sensory bin with fake grass, rocks, plastic flowers and bugs for a gardening-themed sensory play experience.
Spring Slime: Easy ways to turn our basic slime recipes into fun spring themes. Rainbow slime, flower confetti slime, bug slime and more.
Rainbow Foam Dough: Make up a batch of colorful rainbow foam dough and pair it with our free printable rainbow playdough mats.
Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin: Explore all things to do with rainbows with this easy to set up rainbow sensory bin.
Rainbow Spaghetti: Easy to make and even more fun to play with!
Weather Sensory Bin: Set up a colorful spring sensory bin with soft pom poms that represent the cloud, sun and rain. Check out the activity ideas too!
Spring Books for Preschoolers
Here are ten delightful spring-themed books perfect for preschoolers:
“And Then It’s Spring” by Julie Fogliano: This charming picture book follows a young boy and his dog as they eagerly await the arrival of spring, planting seeds and watching for signs of growth.
“Spring is Here” by Will Hillenbrand: In this sweet story, Bear wakes up from hibernation to discover that spring has arrived. With the help of his friends, he experiences the season’s joys.
“The Tiny Seed” by Eric Carle: Follow the journey of a tiny seed as it travels through the seasons, finally blooming into a beautiful flower in the warmth of spring. Eric Carle’s signature illustrations make this book a favorite among young readers.
“Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt” by Kate Messner: This beautifully illustrated book takes readers on a journey through the garden, exploring the hidden world of insects and plants both above and below the ground.
“Mouse’s First Spring” by Lauren Thompson: Join Mouse as he explores the wonders of springtime, from flowers blooming to birds chirping. This engaging story celebrates the magic of the season through the eyes of a curious mouse.
“And Then It’s Spring” by Sam McBratney: Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare explore the changing seasons, eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring in this heartwarming tale.
“Everything Spring” by Jill Esbaum: With vibrant photographs and simple text, this non-fiction book introduces preschoolers to the sights and sounds of spring, from baby animals to blooming flowers.
“Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic” by Steven Schnur: This beautifully illustrated alphabet book celebrates the arrival of spring with acrostic poems for each letter, capturing the essence of the season.
“When Spring Comes” by Kevin Henkes: From melting snow to budding flowers, this book explores the transition from winter to spring in lyrical prose and vibrant illustrations.
“It’s Spring!” by Linda Glaser: Follow a group of children as they explore the signs of spring in their neighborhood, from planting seeds to flying kites. This interactive book invites readers to join in the springtime fun.
Preschool Weather Pack
Who’s It For? This weather project pack is perfect for 3-to 6-year-olds in a preschool classroom, learning center, or home. Easy to set up and use with one kiddo or a classroom. This themed pack includes a book and supply list to help you easily set up the activities.
⭐️ Tip: Grab the Preschool Themes Growing Bundle and save money! ⭐️
Activities Include:
- Weather Matching
- Puffy Paint STEAM
- Mini Book
- Alphabet Magnet Activity
- Sensory Bin
- AB Patterns
- Geoboard Templates
- Writing Center
- Tracing Cards
- Cover Up Game
- Matching Game
- Puzzles
- Playdough Mats
- Weather Spinner
