Spring is on its way, it really is.
It's been pouring down here in London and the wind has had a really bite to it, but the blossom is blooming, the daffodils are opening in the sunshine and the birds are chattering non-stop as they plan their nest building with old mates and new partners. Spring is returning.
And calling at us all to ditch those screens and get outside and enjoy all the awe inspiring ways it brings new life to our planet every year.
So for some simple inspiration to help you and your children get outside and enjoy spring's wonders I've got a bucket list for you of the very loveliest spring nature activities for kids.
These aren't complicated kids activities that need loads of preparation and fancy craft skills, just really joyful nature activities for exploring outdoors and simple kids crafts that bring nature back home with you.
They are the activities that we do as a family and with friends year in, year out so they've become little seasonal rituals that actually connect us in a very deep way with nature and help us mark the passing of the year.
So have a whiz through and see what takes your fancy and then save the bucket list for later so you've got loads of lovely activities for kids on tap all the way through the spring.
Lovely Spring Nature Activities For Kids
- Visit new born lambs or other new born farm animals. It might take a bit of planning but if you do one spring day trip, do this.
- Watch ducks building nests - spot where different breeds build their nests and the different materials they use ...
- ... keep an eye on the nest and watch newly hatched chicks grow
- Make nature nest collages from twigs and straw and moss or anything else the birds themselves use
- ... and pop fallen willow twigs in a jar of water and watch the willow take root
- Get outdoors and paint with hands, trikes, cars, water pistols and more.
- Or have a good old stomp around in the backyard painting with feet ...
- Head to the woods for a carpet of bluebells ...
- ... or to the meadows and see if you can find a fairy hiding in the cowslip bells ...
- ... and learn to see like a bee on a wild flower nature hunt and discover bee's awesome ability to see ultra-violet light!!
- Collect fallen feathers and make feather collages ...
- ... or write with feathers on tree bark scrolls
- ... or simply swoosh feathers around in paint and see what lovely patterns you can make
- Dissect daffodils and discover their hidden treasure of eggs inside ...
- Be a blossom detective and predict which type of fruit will grow from each flower
- Find fallen blossom petals and make beautiful petal pictures
- Collect poppy seed heads and sprinkle the seeds, then see what patterns you can make printing poppy seed head pictures.
- Find all the tiny crooks and crannies where the daisies grow and make a daisy chain ...
- ... or just take a moment in time to blow a dandelion away
- Put out a bird feeder and get to know the birds in your garden - who's sociable? who's not? who's a chatterbox? who's shy? who's nosy?
- Forecast spring storms by watching for seagulls or other surprise visitors
- Make friends with a tree and keep a diary of all its super powered changes through the year
- Go hunting ladybug babies - they don't look a bit like mum - and do an awesome transformation just like butterflies
- Keep your eyes peeled for the magnificent stag beetle and learn about its incredible six year transformation
- Raise a few snails and uncover the strange secrets behind snail children
- Watch our for apex predators in your local food chains - spring is full of new life but can also be a hard time. Look out for the geese and ducks defending their young from crows and herons and the like.
- Get your hands nice and muddy planting yummy peas ...
- ... or grow zucchini seeds so you can make chocolate zucchini cake all summer long
- ... or grow your own halloween pumpkin
- ... or if you can't wait that long plant super fast growing radish seeds
- Seek out tiny caterpillar eggs hiding under leaves and see if you can catch the moment the caterpillars appear
- ... and keep your eyes out around door and window frames for sacks of spider eggs - we lucked out last year and witnessed the teeniest baby spiders emerging just like in Charlotte's Web.
- Make your own rainbow whenever the sun shines and see for yourself the awesome physics of light waves and colour
So there you go.
Loads of lovely spring nature activities for kids of all ages from toddlers to middle school, that will get them off their screens and outside, wallowing in the glories of spring and the wonders of nature.
For more inspiration check out all my activities for exploring nature with children and if you're a Pinterest fan follow my nature study for kids board. It's cram full of ideas :
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