Springtime tips for toddler fun!
Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes family fun time, especially if you have tiny tots and preschoolers. Crisp, fresh air and warm sunshine make for a great time for playdates, weekend excursions, and lazy afternoons flying kites in the breeze.
Spring activities for preschoolers offer ways for your toddler to learn and have fun. Read on to discover springtime toddler activities that will delight the entire family.
The importance of spring-themed activities
Play is a necessary part of a child’s life. It is a form of entertainment but also learning. Playing spring-related games teaches children about the changing seasons and the world around them. They realize that, even in play, they can discover new things.
By preparing in advance, you’ll get the most out of your play and learning time. Spring arrives in mid-March in the U.S. Early march is a great time to gather craft supplies, gardening tools, game ideas, and itineraries.
Make sure to take rainy days into consideration (spring has a lot of them) and plan some indoor activities, too.
Nature-based activities
Exploring nature isn’t just fun for children. It’s also educational. Getting outside is a must in the springtime, and Mother Nature provides a plethora of playthings, including:
- Mud and dirt
- Long grasses and reeds
- Flowers, leaves, and plants
- Insects like flies, ants, butterflies, and beetles
- Water
- Birds, animals, and wildlife
- Wind
Spending the day learning what nature smells, sounds, and feels like is an incredible experience for kids of any age. Preschoolers can have a blast using sticks to stir up a batch of mud pies or pick flowers for a dinner table bouquet. They can follow an ant along its journey or watch honeybees gather pollen. Nature is chock full of exciting adventures.
Make a mess
There really isn’t anything as fun to a kid as making a giant mess. Making homemade slime, clay, or play dough is a fascinating sensory experience that keeps kids interested for hours. Incorporate cookie cutters, rolling pins, pastry wheels, coins, blocks, and toys that can squish, squeeze, and imprint for more fun.
Making clean-up part of the fun is crucial, too. Teach kids why it’s important to keep their toys clean and pick up after themselves to help establish healthy habits early in life.
I Spy
This traditional observational game is perfect for a springtime adventure. Take a walk through the backyard or a park or beach and see what you can see. Challenge your child to find the things you’ve spotted, like dogs, flowers, trees, playground toys, and even siblings. Games like this one sharpen observational skills and help young children learn to communicate and exchange ideas.
Cycling
Add a little exercise to your spring activities by doing some bicycling. Use chalk to draw a race course on your driveway or race your little one down the sidewalk. If your little one is still too small for their own bike, strap them into a carrier and take a spin around the block for an exhilarating midday break together.
Delve into spring colors
Spring is full of color. Flowers and plants are bursting with new life. Insects and animals emerge from a long winter, vibrant and energetic. It’s the perfect time to discuss the colors of the season. Help your toddler learn the names of colors, how to mix them, and where to find them in nature.
Spring is also a great time to teach older kids about the warning colors, such as red and yellow, that signal stinging and toxic factors in nature.
Choose spring colors to make paper crafts, coloring pages, and suncatchers. Find colors in nature that match your clothing, eyes, or hair.
Leaf transferring
Leaf transferring is a fun and simple craft that requires only paper and a writing instrument, like a crayon or pencil. First, find a cool leaf, flower, feather, or blade of grass and place it on a hard surface like the sidewalk or a picnic table. Lay the paper on top and rub the crayon or pencil over the top until the shape of the leaf comes through.
Use various colors and writing instruments to vary the effect, and use the artwork to decorate your child’s bedroom.
Gardening
Gardening is the quintessential springtime activity, and many tasks are perfect for children to participate in, such as digging, pulling weeds, planting seeds, and watering. Kids can also help with planning and mapping out the garden space and deciding how the bounty will be used and prepared to eat.
Gardening teaches agriculture, math, geometry, reading, and so much more, including an unmatched sense of accomplishment.
Spring brings such special moments that are unattainable at other times of the year. Use this distinctive season as a teaching tool and memory maker. Just keep in mind that young children can turn anything into a safety hazard, so make sure to keep a close eye on them, no matter what you’re doing.
Spring is a perfect opportunity to get creative with the ones you love
Warmer weather and signs of life give springtime an invigorating and exciting feel. Li’l Pengyu is here to ensure your baby has safe and comfortable surroundings no matter the season.
Parenting is one of the most ambitious and rewarding tasks you can tackle. We understand that caring for a little one can be intimidating, so our goal is to help you both rest easy. We make parenting simpler and more satisfying with high-quality, inventive, thoughtful baby and toddler products that meet the needs of parents and babies alike. Check us out today to see what we can do for your family.