these spring activities and crafts are great for a wide range of ages and can be adapted for younger babies + toddlers or even older preschoolers! i hope you enjoy!

if you’re stopping by as part of the spring blog hop, welcome!! thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the other links at the end of the post from some of my favorite bloggers!

we’re well into spring and these activities are sure to get you and your littles ready to enjoy the {hopefully} beautiful weather.  a couple of notes regarding completing these activities with your babes:
– be mindful of your child’s age + needs.  these activities can easily be adjusted to meet the needs of your child…if you have any questions, please let me know!
– kids LOVE repetition, so repeat, repeat, repeat!
– be prepared!  have clean up materials readily available…wipes are ALWAYS on hand!
– so many of these materials can be found on hand in your own home, so get creative!! most others can be found at the dollar store for super cheap.  i also linked up to most items on amazon if you’re a primer like me 🙂
– art should be a process with little ones…try your hardest to not ‘fix’ your child’s projects and appreciate the imperfections.  it’s okay {and i think cuter!} that they don’t all look the same.

**disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links for your reference to where if you the reader, click + purchase a product from the link, i will make a small amount of money based on your purchase.  as always, i appreciate your support!

13 spring activities for your baby, toddler or preschooler

spring flower sun-catcher

materials: tissue paper {cut in pieces}, construction paper {for outline of flower and stem}, contact paper, scissors, tape
objective: fine motor, pincer grasp
focus words: flower, stem, leaves, sticky, tape, color words
notes: i cut out the flower heads out of construction paper then place on contact paper, sticky side up.  then girls place tissue paper on the contact paper. when they are finished, then i add on the stem and leaves with tape before hanging!

fine motor spring flower arrangements

materials: fake flowers {i bought at the dollar store years ago!}, colander {i used one from my kitchen, but make sure the holes are wide enough for the stems to fit through.
objective: fine motor, eye-hand coordination, imaginative play
focus words: flower, stem, leaves
notes: you might have to help little fingers work their way down the stem to have a better grip.  most of our flowers didn’t fit into the holes, but almost all the stems did!

painting with flowers

materials: fake flowers, craft paper {i like this paper for heavy painting because it doesn’t rip very easily}, washable paint {this is my favorite washable paint!}, muffin tin {or paper plate}
objective: cognition + general knowledge – engages in sustained and complex manipulation of objects
focus words: flower, color words, dip, paint
notes: older kids can pick real flowers and use those to paint! fake flowers tend to be more sturdy for toddler hands 🙂

spring garden sensory bin

materials: tub {i use an old, shallow rubbermaid plastic container}, dirt, fake flowers, shovels, flower pots, a plastic bug, watering can
objective: algebra – sort objects into two or more groups by their properties and uses.
focus words: dig, scoop, pour, bug, shovel, flower, color words
notes: you can read more about this post and other ideas here 🙂

coffee filter watercolor umbrella’s

materials: white coffee filters, liquid water colors, q-tips, construction paper
objective: use materials in new and unconventional ways
focus words: umbrellas, color words, circle, cut
notes: one coffee filter painting will yield 2 umbrellas! i also add a little water to the watercolors. any left over paint i pour back into the container…a little goes a long way!

color sorting caterpillar

materials: colored foam {or laminated construction paper}, fruit loops
objective: algebra – sort objects into two or more groups by their properties and uses.
focus words: color words, counting, circle, caterpillar
notes: i wouldn’t recommend this activity right before dinner…if your kids are anything like mine, they ended up eating most 🙂

spring cookie cutter painting

materials: various spring cookie cutters {think flowers, sun, butterflies}, washable paint, fingerprint paper
objective: ognition + general knowledge – engages in sustained and complex manipulation of objects
focus words: butterfly, flower, color words, stamp, dip

flower number color hop

materials: laminated colored paper, velcro dots
objective: use number words to indicate the quantity in small sets of objects (e.g., 2, 3), and begin counting aloud;  use locomotor skills with increasing coordination and balance.
focus words: jump, number words, color words
notes: i use the rough part of the velcro on the back of the paper so the laminated paper doesn’t slip on the carpet.. you could use colored foam, or paper plates just as easily!

chalk paint butterfly

materials: ground chalk + water, paintbrushes, cardstock or heavy construction paper, pipe cleaners {or construction paper}
objective: use materials in new and unconventional ways.
focus words: chalk, color words, paint, butterfly
notes: older kids can stomp on chalk in a ziplock bag to crush the chalk… i used a knife and cut up old chalk we had lying around.  put the ground chalk in a bowl and slowly add water to desired consistency.  i added just enough to make a wet paste.  i ended up shaking off a LOT of excess chalk as it dried so it didn’t get all over the floor when i hung them up.

blow paint raindrops

materials: straw, liquid water colors, white construction paper
objective: demonstrate increasingly complex oral-motor skills such as drinking through a straw, blowing bubbles or repeating a tongue-twister.
focus words: rain drops, blue, rain
notes: this works best when you put a large drop of liquid watercolors directly on the paper, then use the straw to forcefully blow the color around.  my two couldn’t quite get the hang of blowing hard enough through the straw, so we just blew the color around with our mouths.  another option would be to pick up the paper and shake around!

5 little ducks felt story board

materials: colored felt {or paper to make puppets},
objective:  show an appreciation for reading books, telling stories and singing.
focus words: number words, duck, hill, mama
notes: this is a lot of adult directed play at first with a LOT of repetition! my girls LOVE to sing this song multiple times through the day and now are able to help move the ducks over the hill and into the pond.  they also love to carry the ducks around and engage in imaginative play.

fine motor colored cereal sort

materials: fruit loops, pipe cleaners, colander
objective: coordinate the use of arms, hands and fingers to accomplish tasks; sort objects into two or more groups by their properties and uses.
focus words: color words, cereal
notes: like the caterpillar sort, i wouldn’t recommend this activity right before dinner…if your kids are anything like mine, they ended up eating most 🙂 this takes a LOT of concentration and practice.  my girls really only held enough attention to last about 3 fruit loops before wanting to eat them all. to make it easier, you could isolate one or color and have your child string the fruit loops.

spring soup

materials: shallow plastic tub, liquid water color, various tools {ladle, whisk, etc.}, fake flowers
objective: engage in focused observations of objects and events in the environment.
focus words: scoop, stir, pour, water, flowers, whisk
notes: i had this set up and ready to go so as soon as we were done with a painting activity, we could ‘wash off’ in the water. i used just enough watercolor to tint the water…not to stain!

looking for more spring inspiration? i’ve joined a handful of my favorite bloggers to put together a Spring Blog Hop. Just click on each link below to discover new ideas to get your home in tip top shape.

Spring Blog Hop