No matter the weather, these fun spring activities are sure to get your children outside and learning about all the beauty the new season has to offer, all while exploring through play.
It’s officially spring and if you’re like us, you’re probably excited for the longer days and warmer weather ahead. It’s a time for kids to explore nature as new blooms arise, bright colours begin to reappear, and the sun begins to shine brightly once again. Help your little ones enjoy the benefits of outdoor play while learning and discovering through play with these 10 nature-themed spring crafts and activities.
Spring Activities
Go on a Hike 
Hiking is always a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh spring air. There are a variety of benefits to getting out and exploring the great outdoors including improving physical and emotional health as well as skill-building and learning new things. Add a fun new element to your hike by playing Nature Walk Bingo. The first to get four in a row wins!
Build a Birdhouse
Building a birdhouse is a fun and simple spring activity you can easily do at home! Not only is this an engaging DIY for you and your children, but it’s also a great way to flood your yard with beautiful birds (the true sign of spring!). Experiment with different paint colours and different seeds to learn what attracts specific species of birds. The dollar store is a great place to gather all the materials you need to get started.
Start a Garden
Gardening is an excellent way to teach children the circle of life and how to care for nature. Consider giving your little one a plant or garden of their own to care for as a spring/summer project! You can take a trip to your local garden center together and pick out beautiful flowers and delicious vegetables that will thrive in your specific garden environment.
Spring Scavenger Hunt
Whether you go for a hike, to your local park, or even in your own backyard, a spring scavenger hunt is a fun and creative way to get out and discover everything spring has to offer. Why not turn it into a learning opportunity by discussing the importance of new growth and the changing seasons? Here’s a free printable to help get you started!
Have a Picnic
Pack up all your favourite foods and spread a blanket on the grass for a quick and easy outdoor meal! Some of our picnic favourites include crackers and cheese, a variety of fruits and veggies, sandwiches, juice boxes, and healthy snacks like granola bars, and trail mix (nut and seed mixture).
Spring Crafts
Sort the Rainbow
Simply craft a rainbow from construction paper (ensure your colour rays are similar sizes) then present your pebbles in a tray off to the side and invite your child to match the colours! You could also have your child compare the size of the pebbles and see if they fit on your colour rays or have them count how many pebbles fit onto each ray and compare to see if they can fit more or less based on the sizes of pebbles!
Nature Picture
This activity offers an opportunity to be inspired by nature in order to create a picture of what spring means to you! Have your little one mix loose items and natural elements they find on a nature walk to decorate and create their picture. Feel free to include a variety of different materials to craft your spring-inspired artwork.
Cardboard Camera
For this easy DIY, take a piece of cardboard and cut out a rectangle and then trace a smaller rectangle in the middle. Cut out the inner rectangle! Once complete draw extra “camera” pieces you usually see on a digital camera. Take your cardboard camera outside and “capture” different nature shots. Encourage your children to search for nature items of similar colours, different kinds of trees, animal tracks, habitats and record your findings or ask “I Wonder…” questions!
Muddy Nature Cupcakes
This activity can be set up in five minutes or less! All you need is a tray, a scoop, and some cupcake liners. Go for a nature walk in your yard or local community and collect interesting colourful treasures and place them on one side of the tray and on the other scoop in some dirt and place cupcake liners with them and encourage children to create.
Nature Mandala
This activity is a way to allow children to be creative, explore symmetry, and connect with nature. You can see mandala patterns in natural objects everywhere, like in the radiating petals of a flower, the spiraling tree rings on a log, the interconnectedness of spiderwebs, or even in seashells, crystals, and so much more. Mandala is a Sanskrit term that means “circle,” and the circular design is meant to express the concept that everything in life is connected. Teach your little ones about these themes while you create your own nature mandalas together.
Scholar’s Choice is an excellent source for educational tools and learning materials for children of all ages. Visit scholarschoice.ca for a variety of outdoor spring activities and spring crafts created by leading industry and educational professionals.
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