Believe it or not, the warmer weather is coming!!! Soon it will be time to get outside again and enjoy the sunshine. Let’s spring into action with these fun family activities that will take us outside!
Outdoor Family Activities
Bird Nest Material Station
Together with your child, gather a variety of materials suitable for nest building such as non-metallic ribbon, dog hair, raffia, bits of string and yarn and small sticks. Stuff the nesting materials into an onion bag, potato sack or other mesh bag. Now tie the bag closed with a string, hang it in a tree and wait for the birds to accept your invitation to set up housekeeping in your yard.
Start a Garden
Kids love digging in the dirt! Visit your local greenhouse and buy some inexpensive flowers to pretty up your yard or plants you can watch grow and harvest later this summer. Kiddos love to watch it grow and pick it themselves. If you do not have space for large garden, consider planting a small container garden or a vertical garden
Splash Time
We normally have a lot of rain in the spring and we have already experienced this year. Enjoy spring rain showers – put on your rain gear and head outside to play. See who can make the biggest splash in the puddles!
Spring Scavenger Hunt
This can be done at home, around your neighborhood or at a local park. Use the list here or make your own of things you might see in the spring outside. Bring a clipboard and writing utensil for you kiddos to check things off the list. For older kiddos, you could provide a disposable camera to take pictures of the items they found. If you run out of time to complete your hunt, just make it a multiple day hunt or over the course of the spring season. Keep adding new things, ask your kiddos what you should look for outside.
Our Favorite Spring Books
A Rainbow of My Own
Hide and Seek duck
Planting a Rainbow
Thumpity Thump Gets Dressed
Mouse’s First Spring
Let it Rain
Songs & Poems
Lady Bug, Lady Bug by Jean Warren
Lady bug, lady bug, crawl, crawl, crawl.
Lady bug, lady bug, on the wall.
Lady bug, lady bug, look out don’t fall!
Pretty Rainbow by Jean Warren
Rainbow, rainbow in the sky, Pretty colors up so high.
Oh, I wish that it would stay. Bringing color every day.
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Knees and toes!
Head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Knees and toes!
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes!
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, reach up high.
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch the sky!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Find your nose!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch you toes!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch your knees!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Sit down please!
I’m a very hungry caterpillar crawling around eating everything in sight that can be found.
I’m weaving a cocoon on a good size twig and I’m starting to get real big.
I’m eating so much you can hear me chew.
Chomp, chomp, chomp’s all I want to do so much that I just can’t stop.
I’m afraid that I might pop!
POP
I’m a butterfly flying about.
I’m beautiful, I want to twist and shout. HEY!
A butterfly, it’s a brand new day and I still hear my little friends say:
I’m a very hungry caterpillar crawling around eating everything in sight that can be found.
I’m weaving a cocoon on a good size twig and I’m starting to get real big.
I’m eating so much you can hear me chew.
Chomp, chomp, chomp’s all I want to do so much that I just can’t stop.
I’m afraid that I might pop!
