Well everyone, spring has sprung! The weather has been getting warmer and the grass is starting to look a lot greener. This season, animals are starting to wake up and flowers are beginning to bloom. The beginning of spring brings the feeling of the start of something new as the world comes out of winter. There are so many wonderful things about spring to be celebrated, so we put together a list of 5 crafts and activities you should try with your kids to get in the springy spirit.
1. Bird Feeders
Happy little birds are starting to come out to flutter and flitter about our backyards this season. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Many of us enjoy watching them from our windows or porches as they glide by. Birds get their food in many different kinds of ways. Some eat small insects as they fly through the air, while others eat seeds from plants, flowers, and trees. But there’s one type of food that most birds have in common, and that’s bird seed. So why not try helping our little bird friends out by giving them a bit of food?
You can do this by making a homemade bird feeder by using things you may already even have at home. As a base, you can use a cardboard toilet paper roll, pine cone, or a plain cone for ice cream. Take one of these items, spread peanut butter evenly all around the outside, then roll it in bird seed. You can buy birdseed at most pet stores, hardware stores, and even some grocery stores. You might want to hang your bird feeder from a tree or porch, so you should make some holes in the sides, guide some string through, and tie it to a nice spot! Now just wait for some hungry birds to fly by.
2. Plant Seeds
Spring is the perfect time to start trying your hand at growing some plants from seeds! Watching the changes that occur after planting seeds is fascinating for kids and also educational. With just a few materials, kids can enjoy the experience of watching a seed sprout and slowly pop out of the soil. They can even have this experience in their own home without a garden! All you need to get started is a paper cup, some soil, a few seeds, some water, and a bit of sunshine.
First, go out and buy yourself some seeds from a garden center or any store near you that sells seeds. Depending on how much sunlight you’ll be able to give your seeds, take a moment to decide which plant will be best for you. If you’re not sure, you might want to ask a staff member for some advice. Next, get your paper cups and fill them about ¾ of the way full with soil. Dig a few tiny holes in the surface of the soil, about ¼ inch deep, and plant a seed in each hole. Then cover the seeds with enough soil so they’re no longer visible. Now give them enough water so that the soil is damp and place them on a nearby windowsill. Day by day your seed will change and grow right before your very eyes!
3. Spring Fingerpaint
Colorful flowers and blooms are a sure sign that spring is here! Gardens full of fresh and fragrant flowers bring hummingbirds, butterflies, and honeybees that are all important messengers of the season. Why not celebrate all of our lovely flowers and creatures this spring by using them as some inspiration for art! You can use all kinds of materials for this project, but the most important tools are your hands. Start by getting some paper that will be the background of your art. You might want to go with white or a light color so that your paint will really jump off the page in contrast! Next, get some paint that you’d like to use. It can be any kind of non-toxic fingerpaint, but you can also use watercolor for a softer effect. Once you’re ready to get painting, try making a tree full of flowers by painting a trunk with your fingers or a paintbrush. After that, dot on some green leaves! Then, dot on some bright flowers all around the top of the tree. You can also add some flowers growing from the ground, some happy insects, and a rainbow if you like! You’ll be sure to have the perfect spring scene.
4. Bird’s Nest Treats
Now this recipe is an adorable tribute to the birds that work so hard to build their nests stick by stick and stem by stem so that they may have a nice place to lay their eggs. Birds will actually make their nests not only from sticks and twigs, but from whatever materials they can find and think will make comfy nests for their babies. Some birds have been known to make nests out of moss, flowers, and even sheep’s wool or horse hair! But for our nest, we’ll stick with some of the tastier materials.
For this recipe you’ll need fried chow mein noodles (or shredded coconut or broken pretzel sticks), butterscotch or peanut butter chips, and blue chocolate eggs or jelly beans. Just like the birds, you’re free to choose the materials you’d like to work with! Take your butterscotch or peanut butter chips and melt them in the microwave or on the stove until smooth. Next, add your “sticks and twigs” and stir them up into the melted chips. After that, take a spoon and drop your mixture onto parchment paper, then add a couple of blue “eggs” to your nest! Wait until they’re hardened to enjoy your treats or plate them. If your “nests” are taking a while to harden, pop them in the refrigerator or freezer until they’ve solidified. They’ll be almost too cute to eat!
5. Paper Flower Crown
Many cultures around the world make crowns of flowers and leaves for men and women in the springtime to celebrate the changing of the seasons! They are so colorful and vibrant, they look like so much fun to wear. While you can take the time to make some beautiful handmade fresh flower crowns, it might be a bit easier to make some with some materials that are easier to work with and last a lot longer.
You can start by getting some construction paper of all different colors and maybe even some colored tissue paper. Next, measure your child’s head circumference so you’ll know how big around your crown needs to be. Once you’ve got their measurement, measure and cut a 2 inch wide strip of paper to the same size as your child’s measurement plus about 1 inch extra that you’ll need later. After that, you can help your child cut flowers and leaves from construction paper. They can even decorate their flowers by coloring them with markers or by tearing and gluing colored tissue paper to them. After you’ve got some nice flowers and leaves ready, glue them all around the outside of the crown. Once the glue has dried, try wrapping the crown around your child’s head and letting the back ends of the crown overlap. Mark the spot where they start to overlap with a pencil and after removing the crown from your child’s head, glue or staple the ends together. Once the ends are secure, your child can enjoy their crown to their heart’s content!
So which craft or activity are you going to try with your child first? There are so many ways to enjoy the season, we hope that you have lots of fun celebrating spring this year! And with all the curiosities that spring may bring to kids, we hope to inspire kids to learn from nature and the things they see in their daily life.
Incidental Reading and Learning
By encouraging children to explore the world around them, and by interacting with and being a part of nature, we show a whole new universe to the next generation. Here are some ideas for meaningful interaction and incidental learning.
- Get involved, be excited and show passion for all that you do.
- Reading stories at bedtime and doing creative crafts and fun activities will encourage your child to learn.
- Use new words, which will encourage a greater vocabulary, not only in English but also your native language.
- When you are out and about, talk to your child and engage in conversation, describing all that they see around them. This will all help to improve their English skills and create a passion and desire to learn more through the gift of reading.
The Value of Reading
There are many ways for a child to improve their English skills and it all starts with reading. In today’s world, being able to read and speak English can open many doors for our children in the future. So why not help to give your children a head start in life by encouraging them to read with Red Cat Reading!