Between the cold winter months and the pandemic, cabin fever is real this year. Spring is just around the corner now, and as things warm up, it will be time to get outside and get some fresh air!
Planning springtime activities for preschoolers can be a bit challenging because spring is rainy, muddy, and sometimes it’s still really cold. With a little planning and preparation, you can embrace the sometimes-dreary spring weather and still make the most of it.
Here are six outdoor springtime activities for preschoolers:
- Buy or Make a Kite and Fly It Together
On a windy day, there’s nothing more fun than flying a kite. If you have the time to plan ahead, buy a kite-making kit or look at some online tutorials to make your own.
The actual crafting of the kite might be better left to the adults, but preschoolers can have fun decorating and helping out. When the weather is just right, hit the park with your new kite and fly it together.
If you don’t want to make your own, there is no shame in using a store-bought kite. Chances are good that it will last longer anyway. With a store-bought kite, you might even be able to find your child’s favorite TV show character or superhero as a decoration to make the process of getting the kite more rewarding.
- Splash Around in Springtime Puddles
You can always expect spring to be rainy, so be sure to prepare some rainy day activities too! Just a few years ago, Chicago had one of the wettest springs in 150 years. This one could be quite wet, too. If you want to make sure your preschooler gets outside, you’re going to have to embrace the rain.
One of the most classic ways to enjoy a rainy day outdoors is to splash around in some puddles. Grab a raincoat and some galoshes and start hunting for the biggest ones.
On a typical day, jumping in puddles is against the rules. (You don’t want your preschooler jumping in a puddle on the way to a grocery store or on the way to school.) So allowing them to do it as a playtime activity can be a fun, safe way to let them break the rules.
- Do a Scavenger Hunt
Springtime scavenger hunts are the best because animals are starting to come back out, plants are beginning to sprout, and the world is coming back to life. For the scavenger hunt list, you can either create your own or look around online for one someone else has done.
Creating your own makes for a bit of extra work, but it’s tailored to your area. If you live in a city, you’re not going to want country items on your list and vice versa. It can be frustrating to search and search and only find a few items.
For an even more convenient option, do a color scavenger hunt where you simply find things of a certain color. This version can be used anywhere, and you can set a numeric goal like “Find 10 blue things.”
- Fill a Small Garden with New Blooms
It is a little early for most plants, but you can plant sturdy flowers like violets and pansies in early spring. Check with the extension service or a gardening center close to you to make sure the hard freeze period has passed. Often you can plant these types of flowers in your garden as early as the first week in April.
Including your preschooler in planting and tending the flower garden is a great practice. It teaches them a bit about nature and plants as well as responsibility and caring for a living thing (without diving in the deep end and getting a pet).
When you go to pick out the flowers and other flower garden necessities, let your little one help you choose the colors. For safe planting, adults can till the soil if needed and handle tools like spades and shovels. Dig holes where you want the plants to go, then ask your little one to hold the plant while you place soil around it (or vice versa). After they’re planted, make a routine of watering, weeding, and tending to the flowers throughout the spring and summer.
- Get Messy with a Mud Painting
If your child loves to get messy, indulge them with mud painting! Mix the “paint” by using mud and incorporating different ratios of water. For a light color, add more water. For a more concentrated color, add just enough so that it runs like paint. You can use a muddy spot in your own yard, or you can buy soil if you’re concerned about messing up your yard.
They can paint on a canvas, a sheet of paper, or even on stones. Painting on a canvas or on paper means that you get to keep the project. But paint on stones or other natural materials, and the rain will wash it away just like with sidewalk chalk.
- Try to Identify Local Birds
Birdwatching is best done in the spring and fall months. As the world begins to thaw out, birds come out of their safe, cozy nest and migratory birds make their return. They gather in groups that are easy to spot, and they’re very vocal.
While these animals may have become background noise in your life, it is likely many different kinds are right in your backyard. Take your child outside and see what you can spot together. You can look up birds by their appearance and find out the name for each one. Draw these birds in a notebook to keep a kind of catalog during your activity time.
If you aren’t seeing many birds in your area, use a backyard birding guide to draw more birds to your home. You can set specific attractions to draw specific birds.
Getting outside for some fresh air, exercise, and exploration is important for the physical and mental health of children. Plan some activities that are educational as well as some silly ones that let your child run around to get all the wiggles out. They will seriously benefit from it either way.
Sandra Chiu works as Director at LadyBug & Friends Daycare and Preschool, with facilities serving families at multiple locations in the Chicagoland area.