Welcome to the enchanting world of spring, where nature’s secrets unfold before our eyes. As the days grow longer and the temperature rises, our surroundings burst with new life, captivating our senses and fueling our curiosity. It’s a season of growth, transformation, and endless possibilities. And what better way to harness the magic of spring than by immersing our students in a variety of spring learning activities?

Spring is a season of growth not only for the plants and animals around us but also for the young minds within our classrooms. It’s a time when students crave exploration and have a desire to make sense of the world around them. By harnessing the beauty of spring and infusing it with the wonders of science, we can provide our students with unforgettable learning experiences they’ll carry with them throughout their lives.

Holidays and Themes to Teach this Spring

Sometimes, the spring season can make things feel a bit unpredictable, however, it is a season of renewal and transition. This transition offers us various opportunities to include engaging activities and experiences in the lessons we plan for our students. Teaching through the incorporation of themes or holidays takes learning activities up a notch and provides an extra engagement factor for our students. Some of the popular themes and holidays that you can incorporate into your spring activities are:

• St. Patrick’s Day – March 17
• Earth Day – April 22
• Easter – Late March or early April
• Arbor Day – Last Friday in April
• May Day – May 1
• Cinco de Mayo – May 5
• Mother’s Day – Second Sunday in May

Engaging Spring Activities

In the world of education, spring signifies a shift in the academic year. There is a definite difference in maturity and academic progress as they start to resemble the next grade level. And. . . spring ushers in warmer weather and thoughts of summer. If you feel like your students grow restless and get a case of spring fever – you are not alone!

With all of this considered, it is crucial to strike a balance between engaging them in learning activities and providing enjoyable options to keep them motivated and involved. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite spring activities that I use with my students. These activities vary in skill level and the amount of prep work needed, but there is something to fit every classroom or homeschool teacher’s needs!

1. Spring Reading Activities

Any time we usher in a new season I love to pull out new books. I feature new books in our classroom library that connect with the new season. The classroom library is a cozy little corner in my classroom where my students can sit, read, and explore books. During our center rotation, they have a chance to visit the classroom library. I like to add spring colors, some new pillows, reading buddies (aka stuffed animals), and a fun new bulletin board. I have a variety of Eric Carle Inspired Classroom Decor options that I like to incorporate! They are perfect for adding a spring flare to your classroom or reading nook.

I also add in my favorite Spring Reads. Using a variety of “new” books with spring-related themes, your students will spark discussions about the changing of seasons, nature, and the environment. Here are a few of my favorite spring books:

• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
• and then it’s spring by Julie Fogliano
• Spring Stinks by Ryan Higgins
• Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kennard Pak

I also like to add in a spring book scavenger hunt. This is when I create a list of spring-related items for students to find inside of the books they are reading. Items like blooming flowers, birds, insects, or signs of new growth are just a few examples of the times they search for. This is always a favorite among my students who enjoy “hunting” through the new books!

Spring Writing Activities

2. Spring Picture Writing Prompts

Many of my students have struggled with writing ideas when faced with a blank piece of paper. That dreaded “I don’t know what to write about!” is what led to the creation of these picture writing prompts. This fun spring set of writing pages offers a solution to this hurdle by providing your students with picture prompts that ignite their imagination and encourage the development of writing skills.

It is versatile in it can be used in an independent writing center, during Work on Writing Time, or as whole-class writing practice. The picture prompts that are included cater to various writing styles, such as persuasive, narrative, opinion, expository, as well as creative writing.

3. Would You Rather Writing Prompts

When I taught 3rd grade, My students LOVED sharing their opinions. That made these Spring Would You Rather Writing Prompts the perfect writing activity for them. They loved the themed “Would you rather. . .” questions and were always eager to share their choice in writing. Questions like “Would you rather be a frog or a caterpillar”, “Would you rather slide down a rainbow or fly like a butterfly”, and other wildly fun prompts always bring my students’ writing to life!

I used this writing resource in so many ways. Some days we used them as a writing warm-up or a morning work activity. On other days we needed extra engagement and we added the digital version to our centers. And still other times they became the center of our unit for opinion writing.

Spring Math Activities

4. Addition Math Fact Practice

During the spring season, teaching and learning often shift focus to reviewing skills and preparing for end-of-year testing. Addition is one of those skills that we review throughout the spring. When reviewing and sharpening addition skills, I like to incorporate the Spring Addition Digital Mystery Pictures to my lessons and math centers. This gives my young students a fun way to practice and review adding to 20 while continuing to engage in learning.

They absolutely love these digital mystery pictures. As they work you will hear whispers of “I think it’s a. . .” as they try to guess the picture. If engagement was the only factor, these would be at the top of the list! And. . . since they prompt students when there is an incorrect answer, students can work independently.

5. Spring-Themed Subtraction Practice

Subtraction is a skill that I always feel like my students have…until they don’t. Practicing subtraction is an important part of the math curriculum in the early years. But how do you make it engaging when the weather is getting brighter and warmer and your students just want to be, well anywhere but in class? Like the Addition Digital Mystery Pictures, my students LOVE it when we review math facts using the Spring Subtraction Digital Mystery Pictures! They are easy to use, provide lots of repetition with subtraction facts, and my students become laser-focused when it comes to deciphering the spring images.

#TeacherTip: If you teach upper elementary grades or your students are more advanced, I have a variety of Multiplication and Division Mystery Pictures with a spring theme too! There is something for every skill level!

6. Spring Hidden Pictures for All Types of Review

Spring in the classroom always means lots of skill review. Whether you are preparing for testing or just making sure your students are retaining what they have learned, spring and review go hand in hand! One of my favorite ways to review is using color-by-code hidden pictures. Students love them and stay engaged because of the picture. Teachers love them because there is so much skill practice in just one sheet. This Spring Hidden Pictures resource is perfect – no matter what grade you teach because it is a completely editable resource. This means that you can use it to review math facts, grammar topics, sight words, vocabulary, or anything else you’d like! With St. Patrick’s Day and Easter spring holidays also available, these editable hidden picture puzzles are a perfect fit for keeping up the cheerful spirit of spring while grinding through review.

7. Spring Scissor Skills – Fine Motor Fun!

It doesn’t matter the time of the year, finding ways to weave in fine motor practice is always a win! The arrival of spring brings with it the perfect opportunity for practicing scissor skills and using them to create some simple crafts. Teaching scissor skills to your young students can present challenges, but there’s a resource that is designed specifically to address this.

Spring Scissor Skills provides a variety of spring-themed activities you can use with your students to develop their scissor skills. You can confidently guide your students in developing the necessary fine motor skills required for using scissors effectively. Once your students have sharpened their scissor skills, they can embark on a variety of exciting spring-themed arts and crafts projects. The sky’s the limit!

And. . . if scissor skills aren’t on your list of skills to develop, these simple crafts make great additions to a writing project too. Simply pair the craft with a related writing prompt and you’ll have a fun and easy writing craftivity.

Spring Science

8. Science Journaling

I love to use science journals in my classroom. I find that it is a great way for students to begin honing their scientific skills of observation. While many of our observations happen during our science experiments and activities, I love to weave in some nature observations too.

If possible, on a beautiful spring day, we head outside with our notebooks just to observe and document our observations. I encourage my students to record their observations of springtime phenomena like weather changes, plant growth, or animal behavior. They can refer back to their observations from winter and fall in order to make comparisons and identify changes.

By engaging in these journaling activities, my students develop their observation skills, begin to notice small details, improve their descriptive writing abilities, and also deepen their understanding of the natural world around them. Through a simple activity like a science journal, your students can become more attuned to the intricate details and nuances of the spring season.

9. Plant a Garden

As nature awakens from its winter slumber, it offers a wonderful opportunity to engage students in the wonders of science. Exploring scientific concepts during the spring season not only enhances your student’s understanding of the world but also ignites their natural sense of curiosity and wonder.

Before we jump into the garden or the plant life cycle with start with a fun, hands-on unit filled with activities to explore seeds and take our seed knowledge to the next level. From finding seeds in our fruit to taking a peek inside a lima bean (a large seed) we get a great foundation for learning about plants.

You can easily cater to this curiosity through the process of planting and caring for plants. This can be done through growing a classroom or school garden. Consider growing flowers or vegetables that grow quickly. This allows your students to witness the entire process (from planting to harvesting).

If you don’t have a garden area at your school, there are a variety of other ways to grow plants in your classroom. Check out this video that shows you step-by-step how to grow beans in a zip-lock bag. In my classroom, students would grow a flowering plant in a small cup. We’d start them as seeds and students would take them home for Mother’s Day.

10. Nature Walks

Take students on a nature walk to explore the changes happening during spring. Encourage them to observe and discuss the plants, insects, and animals they encounter. Discuss your 5 senses with your students and use them (well…most of them) to take in the awakening world around them.

#TeacherTip: This is a great activity to connect with the science journal if you have time. Have students bring their journals with them to write about what they are discovering!

11. Butterfly or Bird Watching

Set up a butterfly garden or raise caterpillars in your classroom. It’s a wonderful way to see the butterfly life cycle in its entirety. Once the butterflies emerge, you can celebrate with a release party outside.

You can also set up a bird feeder near your classroom window or an outdoor area you can visit or observe. Your students will love having a chance to see these beautiful creatures and learn about their behavior.

I love using these birdhouses and bird feeders that stick to the window. They give us a chance to see the creatures close-up from inside the classroom. Although I haven’t tried it, these new bird feeders also include a digital camera that takes a picture of the birds and animals that visit the feeder. They include an app that auto-identifies the birds that visit your feeder. It’s more expensive but might be a great addition to a school science lab.

12. Science Experiments

There are so many amazing science investigations and experiments that you can connect with spring. Some of my favorites include changing the colors of flowers, creating a raincloud in a jar, investigating the growth of seeds, or studying the importance of rainwater for plants.

No matter your grade level, I am sure that there are some science standards you can connect to the spring season. Science experiments are a hands-on approach to learning – keeping your students engaged in academic growth all spring long!

Save These Spring Activities

Don’t forget to save this post to your favorite Spring Teaching board on Pinterest. By pinning it, you’ll have easy access and a helpful reminder of these activities when it’s time to start planning your spring lessons!