Spring themes for preschool
Children are naturally curious and love learning new things. With the advent of spring, many exciting activities and themes can keep your preschoolers busy and entertained.
Plant theme
Introduce children to different kinds of plants, their life cycles, and how they grow. Plant seeds with your classroom and watch them grow throughout the season. Have the children observe the changes in plants over time as new leaves and flowers emerge. Discuss how different plant parts are used for food, medicine, clothing, and decorations.
Weather theme
Spring allows children to explore the weather and how it changes over time. Have children observe weather patterns like rain, wind, and sunshine. You can also discuss where rain comes from and why we need it for plants to grow. Create a chart to track the weather changes and discuss why it is essential to know what weather you will experience each day.
Also, encourage children to dress appropriately according to the weather and talk about how they can be safe when outdoors in different types of weather.
Spring animals theme
Introduce your preschoolers to animals that come out during spring, such as birds, bees, butterflies, and frogs. Explain how each animal plays a different role in nature and why they are essential to our environment.
Give children the opportunity to observe these animals up close by taking them on outdoor nature walks or setting up bird feeders. Once the children are more familiar with the different animals, encourage them to create animal habitats using materials such as construction paper, popsicle sticks, straws, and clay.
Shapes and colors theme
Incorporate shapes and colors into your spring activities to boost preschoolers’ cognitive development. Have them look for natural shapes in clouds or leaves and talk about the different colors they see in trees, the sky, and flowers. Grab some construction paper for a craft activity where your preschoolers can create collages of shapes and colors.
Allow children to practice their fine motor skills by having them cut out shapes or use glue sticks to put art projects together. Encourage children to draw and color with chalk on the sidewalk to stimulate creativity, allowing them to explore different shapes and colors while having fun.
Gardening theme
Introducing children to plants and how they grow, different types of flowers, and the importance of watering will excite them about gardening. Explain how plants help us in our everyday lives, from providing food and oxygen to helping conserve energy.
You can discuss all the different colors associated with gardening and show them some creative ideas for decorating pots or creating flower arrangements. This theme also lends itself to many simple and age-appropriate gardening activities.
5 Spring Themes Preschoolers will love
Bugs theme
Get children interested in bugs by going on a bug hunt and exploring the different insects that come out during springtime. Let them observe butterflies, ladybugs, or worms up close and discuss their various characteristics. Explain why bugs are essential to our environment and how we can help protect them.
Arts and crafts theme
Preschoolers love to express their creativity through arts and crafts. During springtime, encourage children to create various art projects related to the season, such as:
- Making flower prints with potatoes
- Creating rainbow wind chimes using sticks and yarn
- Crafting paper butterflies or caterpillars
While doing arts and crafts, encourage children to explore the concepts of texture, shape, color, and size.
Music and movement theme
Incorporate some music and movement activities into your spring curriculum. Have the preschoolers create their own dances to songs about the season or have them participate in an obstacle course involving various movements such as hopping, skipping, or jumping.
Water play theme
Have your preschoolers explore water and teach them about its properties by filling up different containers such as cups, bowls, bottles, or buckets. You can also add food coloring to create a rainbow of colors.
Let them observe what happens when they add different items, such as rocks, sand, or clay to a bucket of water. For a different sensory experience, provide them with sponges, paintbrushes, and other objects for a tactile exploration of the water.
Space theme
A space-themed lesson plan can boost children’s scientific thinking, mathematical understanding, and literacy skills. By engaging in activities like learning about solar eclipses, building rocket ships from recycled materials, or even participating in a simplified “astronaut training” obstacle course, children can develop fine motor skills, grasp basic astronomy concepts, and cultivate teamwork and problem-solving abilities.
This theme can inspire awe and curiosity about the world beyond our planet, encouraging questions and discussions that build cognitive skills.
March activities for preschoolers
March is the perfect time to prepare for the coming of spring. There are plenty of fun and creative activities for preschoolers that you can introduce in your classroom. Here are some activities that will help get them excited about the season.
Make egg carton caterpillars
Get your class excited about the coming of spring by helping them create egg carton caterpillars. As the children create their masterpieces, you can discuss why caterpillars are so important in springtime, how they turn into beautiful butterflies, and where they might find caterpillars in your school garden or neighborhood. This craft will help children practice their fine motor skills and encourage creative thinking as they learn about nature. For this activity, you will need egg cartons, craft scissors, pipe cleaners, paint or markers, glue, and googly eyes.
Plant seeds
As the weather starts to warm up, it’s time to teach preschoolers about the life cycle of plants. Start with some small pots, potting soil, and different types of seeds. Help each child fill their pot with dirt and seeds. This is also a great activity to teach children about how to care for plants, such as placing them in a sunny area and watering them regularly.
Make wind chimes
Make cheerful noises around your classroom by making beaded wind chimes with children. You will need string, drinking straws, jingle bells, beads of different sizes, paint, paintbrushes, paper cups, pipe cleaners, a hole puncher, and scissors. This activity helps develop fine motor skills, stimulates creativity, and encourages sound appreciation.
Go on a scavenger hunt
Going on an outdoor scavenger hunt will encourage children to explore their environment and discover new things. This is an opportunity to learn about different animals, plants, and other elements of nature. Create a list of things commonly found during springtime and send your children outside. Encourage your children to try to find everything on the list.
Create a spring-themed sensory bin
You can create a sensory bin filled with spring items and colors. Stimulate children’s senses with tactile items such as dried beans and peas, sand, rice, flowers, and rocks. There are many spring-themed sensory ideas to consider as you engage your preschoolers in exploring the season.
Create a spring-themed sensory bin
You can create a sensory bin filled with spring items and colors. Stimulate children’s senses with tactile items such as dried beans and peas, sand, rice, flowers, and rocks. There are many spring-themed sensory ideas to consider as you engage your preschoolers in exploring the season.
Get in the mood for spring
Spring activities offer excellent opportunities for preschoolers to learn and explore. Incorporating creative projects into the learning process helps to ensure that every child is engaged, actively participating in activities, and enjoying their learning experiences.