Let Learning Bloom This Spring!

Learning with the Seasons! 

We’ve reached that incredible part of the year where the ground begins to thaw, snow turns back into rain, and flowers start to bloom! It’s almost officially time to welcome spring and the many natural wonders of the world that come with it. Whether your little one is enrolled in an online preschool program or attends in-person learning, you may begin to notice their little eyes looking out the window more and more as the weather gets warmer and warmer — and that’s OK! The school year can be long for a lot of young children, and it’s very natural that little ones want to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather or participating in spring activities for preschoolers. Because this time of year can also lead to lots of burnout, it’s good to give your little one some fresh new activities to participate in while keeping the basic structure of your preschool day. We’ve started a list of some easy, educational, and entertaining activities you and your little one can participate in together to keep up the early childhood education and celebrate one of our favorite seasons!

1. Springtime Scavenger Hunt: One of the best activities you can do with your little one during these warmer months is just getting outside, and a scavenger hunt is the perfect way to keep your outside adventures early childhood education-friendly! Make a list of plants or creatures that are native to your home or state, and help your little one explore and search for them. Make sure to also make a list of flora and fauna that are a bit more dangerous, so your little one knows to avoid them and instead enjoy observing those pieces of the wild from a safe distance. This is a wonderful way to introduce your little one to the life sciences, and they’ll have a blast exploring the life that grows in their own backyard! 
2. Start a Garden: This is one of the most rewarding tasks you can complete with your little one! Do a little research together with your little one about the weather and about how plants grow best, and together you can choose some flowers, fruits, or veggies to grow together. Make tending to the garden a daily task, and take some pictures each day to track the growth as another spring activity for preschoolers! You’ll get to watch all of your hard work pay off, and at the end of it, your little one will have some beautiful flowers to observe and enjoy, or even some healthy and tasty foods that can be incorporated into their snacks or meals.
3. Discuss the Three R’s: Keeping our planet healthy is so important, and it’s the perfect time of year to discuss how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. You can ask your little one to help you identify items to recycle, and make sure to start a special bin just for recycling! Encourage them to turn off lights when they can, and help them to understand the importance of reducing waste. 
4. Springtime Writing: If your little one wants to work on their writing ability while still offering fun spring activities for preschoolers, blend the indoors and outdoors by asking them to go outside for a little while and observing their environment. After they’ve been outside for a little, ask them to write about what they saw, using words like “flower”, “bee”, or other springtime terms. It’s a good way to continue early childhood education while making sure your little one gets their time out-of-doors! 
5. Volunteer Together: Volunteering is a really important way to keep your little one connected to the community around them, and will help them to understand the importance of giving back to others. The action can be as small as having your little one go through their toys and picking some to donate to those in need, or as big as visiting senior centers or an animal shelter. It’s the perfect time to build a good habit and to encourage your little one to care about the world around them. 
6. Field Trips: A field trip is the perfect educational way to give your little one a break from the books and put their knowledge to use in the real world! Whether you’re planning a trip in state or out of it, there are so many different activities that will help your little one use all that they’ve learned. Explore a natural park, find an interactive science museum, or even find a local creek to observe wildlife! The world is your oyster for springtime early childhood education.
7. Be Spontaneous: Not all the spring activities for preschoolers have to be super planned and educational! There are plenty of fun outdoor activities that are wonderful for you and your little one to try: like doing chalk doodles on your driveway, stargazing, or having a picnic. All of these activities will be learning experiences for your little one, and you will both have fun doing them — remember, little ones love to learn through play!

Springtime is so exciting, and there are so many ways you and your little one can celebrate its arrival. You can explore the world around you, enjoy the freshly warming weather, and find new ways to learn and grow together through spring activities for preschoolers! Try Our Online Preschool for FREE! Playgarden Prep offers educational videos from real teachers, and numerous DIY projects that support early learning and development.