5 Fun Springtime Activities for Children Under 5

Spring is a wonderful season for young children, full of opportunities to explore nature, get creative, and develop key early skills.

Here are five engaging springtime activities to enjoy at home with your little one.

Let's jump straight into 5 Fun Springtime Activities for Children Under 5!

1. Spring Sensory Tray

Ideal for: 1-4 years

You Will Need: 

• A plastic tray

• Dried rice dyed green (using food colouring)

• Flower petals

• Plastic insects

• Small scoops or tongs

Method: 

Fill the tray with sensory materials and encourage your little one to explore textures, sort objects by colour, or count the items they find.

Ask open-ended questions like ‘how does the rice feel to touch?’ to enhance language skills.

Developmental Benefits: 

Fine motor skills, language development, and sensory exploration.

2. Handprint Flower Craft

Ideal for: 2-5 years

You Will Need: 

• Card paper

• Scissors

• Glue

• Paint

• Ice lolly sticks

Method: 

Use paint to make handprint flowers, cut out your little one’s handprints, glue them onto ice lolly sticks to create a bouquet!

Developmental Benefits: Creativity, fine motor skills, and self-expression.

3. Spring-Themed Storytime & Nature Walk

Ideal for: 1-5 years

You Will Need: 

• A spring-themed book (e.g., The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle or We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen) – click here for recommendations.

Method: 

Read the book together, then take a walk outside to look for signs of spring—flowers blooming, birds chirping, or insects buzzing. Relate what they see back to the book to reinforce learning. Click here for our spring scavenger hunts!

Developmental Benefits: Early literacy, listening skills, and an appreciation for nature.

4. Grow Your Own Cress Heads

Ideal for: 3-5 years

You Will Need: 

• Empty eggshells or small pots

• Cotton wool or soil

• Cress seeds

• Water

Method: 

Fill eggshells or pots with cotton wool or soil, sprinkle cress seeds on top, and place them in a sunny spot. Water daily and observe their growth.

Developmental Benefits: Science exploration, patience, and responsibility.

5. Spring-Themed Movement Game

Ideal for: 1-5 years

You Will Need: 

Open space for movement

Method: 

Call out movement prompts inspired by springtime and encourage children to act out each movement, such as:

• "Flutter like a butterfly"

• "Hop like a bunny"

• "Wiggle like a worm"

• "Stretch like a growing flower"

Developmental Benefits: 

Gross motor skills, coordination, and imaginative play.

Enjoy Springtime Learning Together!

These activities provide a great mix of creativity, exploration, and movement to help your little one grow and develop while celebrating the joys of spring. Try them out and enjoy the magic of the season together!