8 spring time activities perfect for little kids with energy to burn
Spring has finally sprung! And after the cold, dark and windy winter days, both kids and their weary parents have an extra spring in their step and are champing at the bit for some fresh ways to have fun in this delicious warmer weather.
We’ve found eight cute and crafty ways to celebrate this beautiful season of renewal and growth with your kiddos, so step right this way for some spring time fun!
1. Make a mud kitchen
For littlies who adore messy, sensory play, it’s mud pie season! This is the perfect weather to get out in the garden and cook up a few mud pies and special potions in their very own mud kitchen. We’ve found a bunch of easy ways to set up an outdoor space for your little ones to enjoy some fun, messy play. Come take a peek!
2. Create craft binoculars for bird watching
With spring time comes the birds and butterflies! Before you head out on your ‘please let this wear them out’ walk around the neighbourhood, why not get them to make their own set of simple binoculars, so they can become mini bird watchers and nature detectives? This cute crafty idea from Powerful Mothering is also a great way to build their fine motor skills as they decorate their creation.
3. Craft a flower suncatcher
We don’t all have a lovely view of a flowery garden right outside our windows to remind us of spring, especially if you are one of our apartment or inner-city dwelling friends. So spruce up your view with this fun flower suncatcher craft from Fun At Home With Kids, that’s perfect for toddlers and preschoolers!
4. Build a play garden
If you’ve got a spare patch of lawn or garden bed in your yard, you can’t go wrong turning it into your kids’ very own play garden, like this lovely space created by The Imagination Tree. With a few easy-to-grow plants and plenty of gardening tools to dig and play, it’s the perfect opportunity to teach little kids about growing your own food and flowers, and gives them a wonderful space for some messy outdoor play.
5. Grow cute cress heads
Growing your own food is a brilliant way to teach kids about nature and where their food comes from. These cute cress heads by Kids Do Gardening are so simple to make – all you need are some eggshells, cotton wool balls, cress seeds and a little bit of water and sunlight to get your own little cress characters growing. Kids can then give them a funky haircut when you’re ready to add some cress to your salad with dinner!
6. Paint flower pots
Sure, it’s already fun to plant your own herbs and veggies with the kids and watch them grow, but why not up the fun stakes by showing them how to paint their own pots before they start planting their little crop. Just follow the easy instructions from Fun Learning For Kids. You can pick up super-cheap little pots from gardening and hardware stores, and let the kids go to town with kid-safe paints to decorate them however they wish. A great activity for one of those rare rainy spring days – they’ll be dry and ready for planting the next time the sun shines.
7. Bake flower pot cupcakes
Okay, so not EVERY day in spring is glorious and perfect for outdoor play. When a rainy or cool day strikes, you can still celebrate spring time with a fun day in the kitchen! These adorable flower pot cupcakes by This Silly Girl’s Kitchen are so cute and easy to decorate – the kiddos will be begging to have a go.
8. Whip up a batch of flower soup
If the kids are whining “I’m borrrred” every five seconds, this simple sensory activity by Taming Little Monsters will be a lifesaver! Take a quick walk around your garden or neighbourhood and get the kids to collect as many pretty spring flowers they can find. Then, make Flower Soup with their pretty discoveries.
To extend the sensory fun, try asking them to create ‘Purple Flower Soup’ for example, using only the purple-coloured flowers they’ve found, or prompt them to try making the prettiest flower soup they can with only three colours. These simple prompts can help build their colour recognition and artistic confidence.
Happy spring time! 🌱🌼
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