Spring is the time for longer lighter days, the sun shines brighter, it is warmer and nature springs to life. Although we love outdoor play all year round, Spring is a welcome season as it brings warm sunshine, flowers and life to explore. The birds are out, and insects are ready to be discovered. Below are just some of our springtime activity ideas.
1. Making spring potions with water, daisies and buttercups
We love to make potions and they are so simple. We find potion bottles in charity shops, but these pictured are from tts. Simply add water with pipettes and any found treasures from the outdoors; such as daisies, buttercups, grass clippings, Use sticks to stir! We also love to add bio glitter and bubbles!
2. Tuff Tray play with Water and a solar powered fountain
These solar powered water fountains are a win win in our water play – simply add one to a tuff tray filled with water and it springs to life (once charged in the sun for a little while!) – sprinkling water, making so much fun for children.
3. Planting seeds and learning about the parts of a flower
Spring is the time for seeds and with us now having an allotment we start seeds off quite early on. Sunflowers are always a go to or beans for kids but we also now plant sprouts, carrots, brocolli, sugar snap peas, corn and allsorts of salad leaves, cucumbers and tomatoes.
4. Creative play in the tray
What can your children create in the tuff tray? Sand is also perfect for mark making in too. Add scoops and sieves and buckets and spades. Add shells to discover too, adding number frames to count them to bring some numeracy into the play.
5. Make Rose petal perfume
Collect petals and flowers to make rose petal perfume. Similar to the potions above. Once the Roses are in bloom there are an abundance in our garden for wildlife as our perfumes, potions and mud kitchen.
6. Making little boats to float on water
Simply slice a swimming pool noodle to make little boats that float on water. Add a straw sail with foam flag and away they sail! Add guttering for them to race down – such fun.
7. Make a recycled cardboard bug hotel
Use an old show box, craft roll or kitchen roll tubes, egg boxes and make your own bug hotel. Learn about minibeasts in your garden. What can you discover under stones and logs? What flowers are the bees and butterflies attracted to the most?
8. Flowers
Explore your local area. Look at nature. What chutes are growing. What colours can you see? Collect flowers to draw and look at in more detail.
9. Small worlds in pots and containers
Create a little world in a corner of your garden or in a pot for children to discover…who has moved in?
10. Digging for dinosaur skeletons and bones
Make your own air dry clay dinosaur skeletons to bury in a sandy tray.
11. Water play
Simple sand and water play are perfect for little ones all year around. Particularly lovely in spring when the sun is shining and it is a bit warmer. A little tip, if it is cold, is to add warm water to your tray. We also love to add petals, slices of fruit etc
Lottie Makes 