It has been a long winter here in Chicago, but color and light are finally returning as we welcome the warmth of spring into our classrooms. As we approach the end of the school year, it as important as ever to engage primary students with hands on experiences and activities that challenge and excite them! Let's explore this fun list of spring activities that are sure to breathe some extra life (and learning) into your classrooms.

Letter Recognition Activities

Learning letters and their sounds are one of the most important foundational skills children learn in these early years. It lays the ground work for becoming independent, fluent readers in the grades that follow. Name crafts are a fantastic way for students to practice sorting and counting the letters of their name. The craft itself also serves as a wonderful fine motor exercise, priming those little hands for writing.

 

 

One of our favorite outings in April and May is to the local farm. This fun freebie is perfect for preparing for that visit. We discuss which animals we might see there and often note how these animals are different than those we see at the zoo. 

 

While our early childhood students learn the letters of their name first, the rest of the alphabet will quickly follow as they enter kindergarten. For this Flower Pot Letter Matching activity, grab an egg carton and popsicle sticks! Hot glue the flower letters and beginning sounds to the sticks and cut a slit in the upside down egg carton for an added level of engagement.

Mystery Puzzles are also a GREAT independent center at this point in the year. Students match the letters or beginning sounds to reveal the mystery picture. My 3.5 year old daughter LOVES these puzzles. My kindergartener and 1st grader love the sight word puzzles. 

Spring Math Activities

I love these math activity ideas because they are easy to prep and promote independence. This first idea is a spin on your traditional "Add the Room" activity. Simply print and place the task cards around the room. Students use the pictures to color the sum and record the number sentence. This is great for reviewing (or introducing) those basic addition facts while incorporating some movement for those little legs. 

Addition Mats are another great way to practice those basic facts with the support of visuals. This can easily be an independent center or a partner activity.

As teachers, differentiation is one of the hardest parts of our job. While some of our students will be ready for addition, others may still be working on number matching. Other students may be ready for subtraction. This Math Craft allows you to choose which "level" your students need. In the end, all students will have created a flower garden. The way they build their garden, however, is dependent on the skill you choose for them. 

No Prep Printables are also helpful this time of year when time is tight but students need engaging activities to keep them learning. We love these Cut and Paste Shapes activities for morning tubs and independent centers. No Prep Color by Numbers are also a favorite.

Easy Butcher Paper Activities are also a great option when you need something to engage students first thing in the morning or right after recess and/or lunch. For this Spring Rain Activity, easily differentiate by writing numbers, addition facts or subtraction facts in the clouds.

Spring Literacy Activities

Task Boxes are wonderful tools that you can prep once, rotate in and out and use in various parts of your day. Use materials you already have in your classroom for "easy to prep", hands on learning. 

As I mentioned above, mystery puzzles are a favorite among my kids. I love that I can print a letter matching puzzle for my 3 year old, a beginning sound puzzle for my kindergartner and a sight word puzzle or CVC puzzle for my 1st grader. Click the picture below to try a FREE CVC Puzzle!

I have to admit that one of my favorite parts of spring is switching out the winter books for those about bugs, flowers and sunshine! You can check out our full list of Favorite Spring Read Alouds here.*

Social Emotional Learning

As the weather finally warms, the excitement to get outside increases! Staying focused and on task can be hard for our students (and for us, too!). Having a clear management plan helps our little classroom community set common goals and celebrations. Tracking progress visually is very helpful for young students to monitor their own behavior. 

 

Kindness Calendars are also wonderful tools to promote positive behavior in your classroom. 

Need a Spring Bulletin Board? These All About Me Bug Glyphs turn out SO cute! Students answer questions about themselves to determine how to build their spring bug. Enrich this activity with the creative writing prompts included for a more comprehensive bulletin board. This is an awesome SEL activity to incorporate into your Bugs Unit!

I hope these easy Spring Ideas brighten up your classroom! You can grab these activities on this site by clicking the pictures. As you add more resources to your cart, you will start to see discounts begin applied. You can also find these resources over on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Happy Spring, friend!

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