It’s that time of year again when the sun stays out longer and the weather gets warmer. It’s also the perfect season for kids to get outside, stay active, and explore their creativity. If you’re looking for simple ways to get kids excited about Spring, here are a few fun activities your kids can enjoy while learning along the way.
Shadow Tracing
This is one of the easiest activities you can do with your kids. Take them outside and find a bright sunny spot to start tracing, preferably a concrete driveway or back porch. Use the sun to create shadows with different objects like leaves, branches, flowers, or toys, and have the kids trace the shadows with sidewalk chalk. You can even have them strike silly poses and trace their outlines on the ground. If the weather is bad, this activity can also be done indoors using a flashlight or lamp as the light source. (https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/shadow-activities-for-preschoolers/)
Bubble Wrap Painting
Turn leftover bubble wrap from packages into a fun painting tool. Cut the bubble wrap into smaller pieces and let kids dip it into paint. Then have them press it onto paper to create colorful designs and textures. They can make rainbows, flowers, trees, and more. Since the bubble wrap creates a different pattern every time, each painting turns out unique. This activity works great indoors or outdoors. (https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/bubble-wrap-painting/)
Paper Plate Birds
Grab a paper plate and fold it in half to create a crease down the middle. On one side of the folded plate, draw an eye and glue on a small orange paper triangle to make a beak. Then let your kids decorate their bird however they’d like using markers, paint, crayons, feathers, or glitter. This is a great opportunity for creativity and self-expression. Once everything is dry, fold the plate back in half and use the blank side as a stand so the bird can sit upright. (https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/paper-plate-bird-craft/)
Torn Paper Bee – Start by drawing or printing an out line of a large bee onto a piece of paper. Make sure the bee is large enough to fill most of the page. Then give your kids black and yellow construction paper and have them tear off small pieces to glue onto the bee, creating its stripes. They’ll alternate colors stripe by stripe until the bee is completely filled in. This activity is a fun way to encourage creativity while also helping kids strengthen their fine motor skills. (https://www.prekprintablefun.com/blog/torn-paper-bee-craft)