A recent study found that preschool-aged children do not spend nearly enough time outside as they should.
Children should spend at least two hours a day playing and exploring the outdoors; however, most students are cooped up inside. Since it’s spring, it’s time to let your students have some fun with a few spring activities.
From collecting petals to gardening, you can teach your students about the wonders of the outdoors. Now, are you ready to get started? Here’s a quick look at a few preschool activity ideas.
Create a Nature Collage
Springtime is here, and you know what that means. Flowers are blooming, and animals are in sight, so it’s one of the best times to be outside and learn. While students play on the playground, rally them up for an outside art project.
All you need is some contact paper, painter’s tape, and a pair of scissors. Plus, a basket or a container for each of your students to hold to collect their items.
Then wrap the paper around a tree with the sticky side up and secure it with painter’s tape. Encourage your students to look around the playground for different types of flowers and leaves.
Tell them to look for different smells, colors and textures, then pick the ones they like. This helps your students use their senses to determine what they like and dislike.
When it comes to placing their items on the tree, encourage them to be creative, to make a one-of-a-kind piece of art. Now, this activity could be used as a group activity or something the whole class could enjoy together.
Make a Bird Feeder
Have your students observe and learn about the wonders of nature by building a bird feeder. You can go about this task in two different ways. You can either buy a wooden bird feeder from a local store or make your own. We enjoyed this fun DIY version from Instructables – it requires only peanut butter, bird seed, an empty paper towel roll and a small amount of string or yarn.
Whatever you decide, make sure you take some time to let your student decorate it with non-harmful items. This personalizes it to your classroom, allowing it to be easily spotted.
Now hang the bird feeder either near your classroom or in the playground so your students are able to see when a bird comes to eat. This simple bird feeder can pique your students’ interest in learning about nature and science.
With it, you can read books and attach activities such as creating a personal feather, eating like a bird, and studying bird beaks out in the playground.
Plant Flowers
Gardening is a fun and interactive activity that helps children utilize what they are learning in the classroom about science and nature. It gets students out in the dirt, working on their object control skills and overall physical development.
To create a garden, you’ll need a box of some sort, along with soil. Make sure you put the garden box next to the playground or near the classroom so your students can reach it easily.
Allow the students to plant the seeds and care for the plants with supervision. By allowing the students to do most of the work, they will learn how to share, take turns, and communicate their wants and needs.
Start These Spring Activities Today
It’s springtime, so use the blooming flowers and animal sightings to your advantage. Create a nature collage, or better yet, make a bird feeder to teach children about nature. You can even plant a flower or a vegetable garden to help children work together and practice their locomotive skills.
This is just the tip of the iceberg – there are many more spring activities you can do with your students. Just be creative and think about how to get students engaged.
For more information about preschool activities, contact us today. We look forward to helping you!
