And Then It’s Spring

Since we are celebrating Earth Day all week, I wanted to celebrate Spring. We will talk about the Earth and how we enjoy all of the seasons, including Spring!

• Read “And Then It's Spring” by Julie Fogliano … what a perfect spring story as the browns of winter patiently turn to the colors of spring!

• Read “Colors Everywhere” by Sam McBratney … Little and Big Nutbrown Hares pick out their favorite greens, yellow, reds and browns from the colors everywhere around them. I love the illustrations!

• Colorful scavenger hike … What a great idea from Family Fun.
  1. Color each section of an egg carton a different color (think outdoor springtime colors). Leave the lid attached.
  2. Take a hike or simply a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy all of the beautiful springtime colors.
  3. Challenge the kids to find natural souvenirs to match each color in their egg carton!
  4. OPTIONAL: I loved all the other suggestions for a hiking adventure from Family Fun:
     • Magnifying glass: take a closer look at veins on a leaf or bugs on a log.
     • Magnets: run a magnet in the dirt to see if little bits of iron stick to it.
     • Spray bottle: Spritz a spider web or a rock to see amazing changes.
     • Homemade Soil Slides: Cut a 1/2-inch square from the center of an index card. Cover the hole with clear sticky tape. Press the sticky side against the soil and examine the soil close up with a magnifying glass.

• Seasons Match … a wonderful, free printable from Montessori for Everyone. There are several ways to use these cards, this is what I plan to do…
  1. Print each of the seasonal cards (there is one page per season) here.
  2. Click on “Seasons & Clothing Matching”
  3. Cut the cards apart.
  4. Attach a piece of magnetic tape to the back of each card.
  5. Place the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter cards side-by-side on the front of the fridge.
  6. Scatter all of the other cards face-down on the living room floor.
  7. To Play:
     • The kids will choose a card on the floor, then run to the fridge and place it underneath the matching season.
     • Switch and take turns until all the cards are sorted.

Eggs & Bird Nests

I love Spring and Easter time.

My friend, Camie, hosted preschool at her house earlier this month and we spent a wonderful morning full of eggs and nests … perfect for Spring!

• Read “The Golden Egg Book” by Margaret Wise Brown … I had never seen this book, but I actually just ordered one for myself! I loved it. It has a vintage look, adorable illustrations and a cute story. 

  BOOK DESCRIPTION: One little bunny finds an egg and tries every which way to open it because he wants to find out what is inside (He jumps on it, rolls it down a hill, and even throws a rock at it … a very small rock, and not very hard, because he’s not a very big little bunny.) He can hear something peck, peck, pecking inside. Then he falls asleep and the something comes out! Very cute.

• Read “Chickens Aren't the Only Ones” by Ruth Heller.
  1. Before reading, ask the kids if they know any animals that come from eggs.
  2. My 4-year-old was excited to share that dinosaurs come from eggs. And I was impressed that even dinosaurs were included in this book.

 

• Egg Game … the kids loved choosing and opening Easter eggs to discover what animal was inside!
  1. Gather several empty plastic Easter eggs
  2. Print out a small picture of animals that lay eggs, about 1” square and put them in the eggs. Include enough copies for each of the kids. We used these for another activity later. Click the image below to print the pictures we used. All images are from Microsoft Clipart.
  3. Spread the eggs out on the floor and let the kids choose one egg.
  4. Open it and discover what animals come from an egg!

• Egg Wiggle Game … I thought this game was adorable. Kids are so funny. Some days they jump right up and wiggle along. And some days they look at you like you’re crazy for wiggling like an octopus
  1. Cut out several colorful egg shapes (or use a pack of foam egg shapes)
  2. On the back, attach a picture of an animal that comes from an egg. Click the picture below to print the animals we used:

     dinosaur octopus frog turkey spider snake fish

  3. Turn the egg shapes upside-down on the floor and have one of the kids choose one.
  4. Act like that animal … Wiggle like an octopus! Hop like a frog!

 

• Giant Egg & Poem
  1. Cut out a large egg shape.
  2. Print the following egg poem. Cut & paste it to the center of the egg.
  3. Use the small 1” animal pictures from the game above.
  4. Let the kids glue the pictures all over the egg! Gluesticks worked great!

• Bird Nest Cookies … treats are always a treat at Camie’s house! She made these yummy bird nest treats for the kids. I had one too, of course! You can visit her blog, Pass the Peas, Please for the recipe!

• Deviled Green Eggs & Ham … and always a more grown-up treat for the moms These were so good, I had a couple. A perfect combination of egg, ham and green spinach! Get the recipe at Pass the Peas, Please.

Still hoping for an early Spring!

I know the Groundhog saw his shadow, but we’re still looking forward to Spring around here!

• Read “Mouse's First Spring” by Lauren Thompson … I love the colors and simplicity of these little Mouse books.

 

• Paint a Spring Tree … I can’t wait to try this project with spring colors! Photo and idea from La Classe Della Maestra Valentina.
  1. Draw or paint a simple tree trunk on a piece of cardstock.
  2. Add a few bare branches (I love how simple her design is!)
  3. I thought it was a great idea to draw a circle around the tree top with a pencil as a guide.
  4. Put a small amount of several spring colors on a plate … greens, pinks, yellows…
  5. Use a Q-tip (one for each color) to dab small dots onto the tree branches. Do as many or as few as you want!

• Springtime Flipbook … you can do this from scratch or print the little flipbook above that I put together! Just click & download.
  1. Print the springtime flipbook above.
  2. Fold along the grey line.
  3. Cut along the four black lines. Now you have your blank flipbook!
  4. Lift up the first flap and make one fingerprint with paint or a stamp pad.
  5. Lift the second flap and make two fingerprints with paint or a stamp pad.
  6. Repeat for each flap … 3, 4, then 5 fingerprints.
  7. Use a fine-tipped marker to add detail to each fingerprint (some legs and antennae to the bug, wings to the butterflies, wings & a beak to the birds …)
  8. Fold down the flaps and read your Springtime Flipbook!
  9. NOTE: you could even write a larger 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 on the front of each flap.
• Make a clothespin sun
  1. Cut a circle out of yellow cardstock.
  2. Place several sun stickers (or any other sticker) around the outside edge of the circle.
  3. Give the kids several clothespins and let them clip a clothespin on each sticker ... making a sunshine!
  4. NOTE: you could also write some ABCs around the outside of the circle, with several extra S’s mixed in. Have the kids clip a clothespin on all of the letter S’s!

Little Lamb (spring!)

 

• Little Lamb Handprints … This past spring we visited a barn with lots of new baby lambs. So when we got home, we did this simple sheep handprint and the kids thought it was fun.

1. Just trace around their hand with a white crayon on black construction paper.
2. Cut out the hand (my 6-year-old could do it, but the 3-year-old needed help).
3. Glue the handprint upside-down on a white paper.
4. Put glue all over the palm, then add puffy cotton balls to make the sheep's wool.
5. Add googly eyes
6. Then the kids colored their background with things they remembered ... red barn, hay, dirt ... and of course lots of letters for practice :)

• Make finger Puppets to sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
  1. Wrap a 1" strip of paper around your finger & tape.
  2. Add hair, eyes and a dress to make Mary.
  3. Add cotton balls & googly eyes to make a sheep.
  4. OR … print & color this great finger puppet printable here! (page 2)

• Oatmeal Lamb
  1. Cut a simple sheep cutout from black cardstock.
  2. Add glue (spread around with finger to cover the body)
  3. Cover with dry oatmeal.
  4. Add legs & eyes to make a lamb.

snack idea: a bowl of cottage cheese with raisin eyes