Signs of Spring!

Question: What do you see changing outdoors?

This question can be asked daily during your time outside. You can also refer to the Open – ended questions document for additional question ideas.

The power of a dictated story – Write down exactly what your child tells you as he or she makes an observation. Your child can draw a picture to illustrate the words. This can then be re -read to your child which is a great pre-reading activity. Before you know it your child will read the dictation back to you! Save a collection of these and create your own book about Spring. See sample below.

Song- Poems: These simple songs and poems are easy and fun to learn. Adding simple motions can make this an active time too!

YouTube

1. Jack Hartman

Brain Breaks/Calendar Song/ Springtime Dance/ Jack Hartman

This fun song is full of “spring movements”

2. Spring Songs for Children/ Spring is Here/ Learning Station

After learning this simple song, you can add your own verse! Just follow this pattern – Spring is here, Spring is here.

How do you think I know?

I just saw a _____ that is how I know!

3. Three Little raindrops

3 little raindrops sitting in a cloud.

The first one said, “The thunder sure is loud!”

The second one said, “The lightning is oh so bright!”

The third one said, “A rainbow is in sight!”

The splash went the raindrops, down from the sky.

To water all the plants and help them grow up high!

4. Wind (to the song row, row, row your boat)

Wind, wind blow the clouds. Fast across the sky.

Blow the branches back and forth-in the trees so high.

Your Tree: Look for a tree in your yard, out your window, or near your house. Make this “your tree” during the weeks of Spring.

1. Observational Drawing -Once a week– Have your child take a paper and pencil and get as close to the tree as you can. Look carefully at your tree and draw what you see. Try to count 5 details you see and draw.

· Back inside your child can add color detail with crayons or markers.

· Dictation – Ask your child, “Tell me all about your tree”, “Can you tell me more?”. Write what your child says as your child watches their words move into the written word. Read this a few times with your child.

· Keep the drawings/dictation stories over the weeks. This offers a great conversation as the tree changes: buds form, leaves open, it may bloom! This can ultimately become a book MY TREE.

2. Bark – The bark on a tree protects the inside of a tree – much like your skin protects you!

· Gently touch the bark with your child and ask your child “How does the bark feel?”, “Describe it.”, “What does the bark look like?” “Tell me more.”

· Use a crayon and paper to make a bark rubbing. Making a few of these in many different colors, bring them inside. Monitor your child using a scissor to cut out fun shapes, glue them to a paper to create a mural!

3. Tree Home- Watch your tree over the upcoming weeks! Who lives there? A bird, A squirrel? An insect? Draw the many animals you see that depend on this tree.

· Google – Help your child learn about the tree they have chosen. Its name, fun facts. It is also fun to learn fun facts about the animals that live in the tree!

Art Ideas:

1. Bugs – These can be made using egg cartons cut at various lengths: long for a caterpillar, short for an ant or ladybug and so on. These can be detailed with crayons, markers, and button eyes!

2. Coffee filter butterflies – All your child needs is food coloring to put droplets of color on the filter and watch what happens! This can also be a lesson on mixing colors. A bread twisty tie or clothes pin can make the body.

3. Coffee filter flowers – Invite your child to cut the filter into flower shapes. Watch the flowers bloom in color as they drop food coloring on the filter! These can also be colored magic markers.

4. Seed Mosaics- You need dry beans, seeds, glue and sturdy paper or a paper plate. Invite your child to draw a picture of something they see on your Spring walk. Then put a line of glue on the outline of their drawing. Your child finishes by putting the beans and seeds on the glue.

Active Time Ideas:

1. Flower Hop – To play outside draw a few large flower shapes on the sidewalk. To play inside make a few large paper flowers for the floor or you can make them using painters’ tape. Invite your child to move in, out, and around each flower as you direct the action: run, hop, skip, jump, gallop, walk.

2. Rainbow Toss – You need: paper plates, tape, crayons or markers to make this game. Make the stand by cutting slits in the bottom of a paper towel tube, flatten the slits out and tape them down on a paper plate. Rings are made by cutting a large circle out of the center of 3 or 4 paper plates. Your child colors each ring in a different rainbow color. You are ready to toss the ring!

3. Relaxing Flowers – This action poem is fun! Your child acts out the words.

5 Little flowers stand tall in the sun.

See their heads nodding, bowing down.

Down, down, down comes the warm spring rain and the 5 little flowers lift up their heads again!

Outdoor Time These activities can be used while on a walk or just standing in your own yard.

1. Right – Left? Listen carefully – Hear the bird singing? Is the bird song coming from the right or the left?

2. Eye Spy – Give your child clues and more clues until they can guess what you are seeing. Examples: a tree, a bush, a flower/

3. Tall or Short? Look at the various plants sprouting and growing around you. Look at each one and describe is it tall or short?