Seed Squiggles
*Several types of seeds *wax paper *string *glue
Squeeze glue onto the wax paper to make a design approximately 4" to 5" long. Have them sprinkle the seeds onto the glue. Let them dry, shake off any extra seeds into a bowl. Have the children gently peel their seed picture from the wax paper. Tie a string to each and hand from the ceiling.
Seed Collage
Glue all kinds of seeds on a paper plate or paper.
Sun Catcher Kites
*2 pieces of wax paper (for each child) *2 pieces of heavy cardboard (for each child) *crayon shavings *iron *newspaper *towel *streamers *glue or glue stick *crayons or markers
1. Prior to this project have wax paper cut off the roll, approx. 5x6" (2 pieces for each child)
2. Cut the cardboard into the shape of a kite, also cut out the middle of the kite ( 2 pieces for each child)
3. Cut enough streamers out (1 for each child)
4. First have the child color the cardboard using crayons or markers.
5. Have the child put crayon shavings onto 1 piece of wax paper. Then put other sheet of wax paper on top of the crayon shavings.
6. Adult will then put newspapers on top of the wax paper and then a towel on top of that. Then with the iron, set at the lowest possible setting, iron the paper until the crayon shavings melt. It will be VERY HOT. Use Caution.
7.Then flip the 2 pieces of cardboard over, side by side, so that you see the side that was not colored. Put glue on the edges of 1 piece of cardboard, then put the melted wax paper crayon shavings on top of that. Next put the other piece of cardboard on that and trim the edges of the wax paper that are showing.
8. Child can now glue a streamer on the bottom
You might want to include this poem:
"Seeds know just the way to start.
I wonder how they get so smart?
They could come up in garden beds
Feet first by standing on their heads.
They could forget if they should grow
Like sunflowers high, or pumpkins low.
They could forget their colors, too,
And yet they never do."
Wind Socks
*Paper Lunch Bag *Construction Paper *Crepe Paper *Scissors *Glue *Misc. Craft Supplies
To make a wind sock, cut off the bottom of a paper lunch bag. Decorate the bag with glitter paint, neon construction paper, stickers, etc. Then attach crepe paper streamers to one end of the bag. Attach a construction paper handle to the opposite end of the bag.
Puzzle Trees
Found a great easy activity for spring, you know those puzzles that seem to always have missing pieces. Cut out the trunk of a tree with limbs glue this or even staple it to another piece of paper (yellow makes a great back ground color) and glue the puzzle pieces to the branches of the tree.
Bird watching
Make bird house or bird feeders.
Use the opportunity to explain how different animals weather the winter; some hibernate, others store up food and poke their heads out for occasional adventures, and still others head for the warm country. Talk about how they weather the winter compared to spring.
Beanstalk House
1. Make a teepee-like frame out of six to eight 5-foot-long bamboo or wood stakes. Draw a circle about four feet in diameter in the dirt. Evenly space the stakes around the circle and push the bottoms into the ground. Then tie the stakes together at the top. Lash seven 2- to 3-foot cross-stakes to the stakes near
the ground, leaving a door. Tie three to four strings between each of the stakes from the top to each of the
cross-stakes.
2. Purchase pole bean seeds, such as "Kentucky Wonder," and plant three seeds below each string and stake. As the seedlings grow, gently help them get over to the nearest string. Eventually, the beans will "learn" to grow on the strings by themselves. In about a month (depending on the seed variety and your growing season), the entire bean house will be covered with green stems, flowers, and eventually . . . beans.
* By the way, the reason you left one side open is to allow the children the pleasure of enjoying sitting their very own bean house.
Grow a "Living" Alphabet or Words
You'll need a small patch of garden or flower bed space. Or, some aluminum pie pans will do--just punch holes in the bottom for drainage, then fill them with potting soil.
Write something or draw pictures using a twig, popsicle stick, or utensil (a finger works well, too).
Pre-readers might want to write individual letters or draw shapes. Older kids might want to write their names or draw simple scenes. Your child should make indentations about half an inch deep. When the words or pictures are complete, give your child grass seed and demonstrate how to place the seeds an eighth of an inch or so apart. Fill up all the indentations, cover with a fine layer of top soil, water, and in ten days the children should begin to see grass words and pictures. Try this one: "Please Keep off the
Grass."
Spring Inside Planting
Cut off some carrot tops and put each one in a dish with some pebbles. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the carrot. Hide the dishes in a place where there is not too much sun. In just a few days, the carrot tops will begin sprouting and turn into plants.
Wheelbarrow Planter
*Plastic Scoops from Laundry detergent *Milk Gallon Cap *Glue *Potting Soil *Seeds
Take the plastic scoop from laundry detergent (wash it ) and glue on each side towards the handle the plastic lid off a gallon milk jug. It makes a little wheelbarrow. Next add potting soil and let the kids plant seeds in it. I always plant either grass seeds or beans because they grow so fast.
Potato Planters
*Potato *Misc. craft Supplies *Potting Soil *Grass Seed
Scoop out some of the potato before you give it to the children. Let the children make a face with the pipe cleaners, yarn and eyes. When they have finished add the soil and grass seed, when the grass grows your potato has hair.
Growing flowers
*Styrofoam cups * popsicle sticks (painted green) * flowers made from construction paper
Pock the popsicle stick through bottom of Styrofoam cup. Glue flower to stick. Stick can be raised through the cup as if the flower is growing.
Daffodils
*Yellow Crepe Paper *Yellow Cupcake Paper *Green Pipe Cleaners
Roll up a little ball on one end of the pipe cleaner so that when you stick it through the flower it won't just fall out. First cut the shape of the "back" of the daffodil...or approximately anyway. Put a small hole in the center for the pipe cleaner. Cut the cupcake paper in half. Roll it till you can glue the pleated edges together, making the part of the flower that sticks out in front (we called it the "trumpet"). Make a hole (or sort of open the one that's there) and put the pipe cleaner through both parts of the flower; glue the "trumpet" onto the back of the flower. We also added a little edge of orange with markers to make them look like the variations of daffodils.
Sunflowers
*Paper Plates *Construction Paper *Glue *Yellow Paint *Sunflower Seeds
Have children cut out several yellow petals and paste on small paper plate previously painted yellow. Fill center with sunflower seeds.
Cereal Flowers
*Paper Plate *Green Construction Paper *Glue *Green Pipe Cleaners
Paste colorful cereals on paper plates in the shape of flowers. Add pipe cleaner stem and leaves cut out of construction paper.
Popcorn Flowers
*Popped Popcorn *Powder Tempera Paint *Green Construction Paper *Glue *Cardboard
Pop popcorn. Put handfuls of popcorn in plastic bag and add powdered tempura paint to each one. Shake well to distribute paint all over the popcorn Cut stems and leaves out of green construction paper and glue them to cardboard. Glue on the colored popcorn to make spring flowers.
Flowers
Glue paper cupcake liners on paper. Add stems. Spray some flowery perfume on the flowers.
Spring Flowers
*Construction Paper *Scissors *Glue
Trace around 1 hand on yellow paper, and trace around 1 hand on red paper. Cut them out; these will be the flowers. Cut out a long & short stem out of green paper. Cut out four leaves out of green paper. Glue the cut out hands on the stems on brown paper, add leaves.
Hand Flowers
1. Trace outlines of the child's hand on paper (probably painted by said child).
2. Cut out hand shapes
3. using a pencil roll the fingers up so that they curl up.
4.Curl the hand shape vertically into a sort of trumpet/lily shaped cylinder with the finger curls curling outwards.
5. Staple the flower onto a drinking straw, along with cutout leaves. Four or five of these make a nice bouquet.
Fringed Flowers
*Construction Paper *Straws *Scissors *Glue *Stapler or Tape
Cut out 3 paper circles (same or different colors). Child cuts a 'fringe' around each circle. Put circles together, largest on bottom, smallest on top. Add a yellow smaller unfringed circle or yellow dot sticker to the middle. Staple all together onto a straw as stem. We used to let the children make as many of these as they wanted over a week. We'd also have them decorate a 'vase' made out of a whole and a half paper plate stapled together around the edge. At the end of the week they could put their flowers in the vase (a bit of playdough in the bottom of the vase made them stay there) and take the vase of flowers home to mommy.
Butterflies
*Food Coloring *Coffee Filters *Eye Dropper or Straws *Wooden Clothes Pin *Pipe Cleaner
Color small bowls of water with food coloring Using an eye dropper or a straw, scatter drops of colored water onto round coffee filters and watch the colors bleed and blend. While the filters dry draw eyes and body details on wooden clothes pins. Gather each coffee filter up in the center and clip with the clothes pin. Make antenna for each butterfly by inserting a pipe cleaner into the end of the clothes pin and twisting it secure. Bend the ends of the pipe cleaner to make it look realistic. You can use tissue paper instead of coffee filters for a multi-layered effect. Decorate with sequins and buttons.
Caterpillars
Glue green pom-poms together to make the body shape. Glue to a large paper leaf (with a bite taken out of it) for a before and after exhibit.
Bug Fingers
*Old Gloves *Pipe Cleaners *Scissors *Hot Glue or Tacky Glue *Misc. Craft Supplies
Cut the fingers off the gloves, they will be the bugs' body. Glue on pipe cleaners for legs, wiggly eyes, pompoms for noses, and feathers on back.(Or decorate as desired). Makes cute finger puppets.
Dot Butterfly
*Construction Paper *Paint *Q-Tips
Cut out a large white butterfly. Glue a black strip of paper in the center on butterfly. Let children use a Q-tip to dip in paint and "dot" the butterfly wings with color.
Feet Butterflies
*Construction Paper *Paint *Glue *Markers or Crayons
Have children take off shoes, dip feet into shallow pan of pastel paint. Step onto a piece of paper so feet are going outward from the heels together. When dry, add antenna with markers.
Bird's Nest
*Construction Paper *Glue *Cardboard *Yarn *Markers
Use scissors to cut the shapes of birds eggs from construction paper. Glue the eggs onto cardboard. Glue short strands of yarn under the eggs for a nest allow them to dry completely. Use markers to draw tree branches around the nest and speckles on the eggs. Draw leaves or use real ones, or felt to make leaves on the branches. Variations: Wash and dry pieces of real eggshells. Glue them on top of the yard nests.
**Talk about the kinds of birds that live in your area. Compare their sizes, shapes, and colors. Take a walk and look for nests in trees. Talk about the materials that birds use to build nests and how high or low the nests are in the trees.
Bagel Bird Feeder
*Bagel *Peanut Butter *Bird Seed *Yarn or String
Have children spread peanut butter on a bagel. When done, dip bagel in bird seed. Attach a piece of yarn and hang outside on tree branches or on fence.
Blossom Tree
*Construction Paper *Glue *Powdered Tempera Paint *Popcorn
Cut out a brown tree trunk and some branches. Take popcorn and sprinkle pink or red tempra paint on it. Children glue the colored popcorn onto the branches. It should look like a tree with blossoms.
Trees with blossoms
I looked out the window and what did I see?
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!
Spring had brought me such a nice surprise,
Blossoms popping right before my eyes!
Activity: You could have the children color a bare brown tree truck with branches. Glue popcorn on the branches for the blossoms. Then best of all----you can eat the left-over popcorn.
Rainbows
*red circle 9 " *orange circle 8" *yellow circle 7" *green circle 6" *blue circle 5" *purple circle 4"
Glue the orange onto the red. The yellow onto the orange. the green onto yellow, etc. Let dry, cut in half, glue back to back and hang. It is great because the children do not glue them directly in the center, so every rainbow has it's own personality.
Clouds
Cut two cloud shapes out of white fingerpaint paper. Glue around edges except for a small opening. Children stuff with toilet paper. Dry and hang. Puffy white clouds.
Umbrella Pictures
*Paper Baking Cups *Scissors *Glue *Crayons or Paint *Pipe Cleaners
Cut several baking cups in half, these will be the umbrellas. Glue them on a sheet of paper. For the handles, use pipe cleaners or you can draw them. Draw or paint rain drops.
Clouds with Raindrops
Children glue a umbrella cutout onto a large sheet of paper. Next, let them glue raindrops onto the paper underneath the umbrella. The kids can then paint the raindrops with glue using a paint brush. Sprinkle with glitter so it looks like the raindrops are shiny.
Playing with Clouds
Give each child a large sheet of paper. Put some shaving cream in the middle of the paper. Tell them to imagine that it is a cloud. How does it feel? What color is it? Let them have fun playing with it. It also makes the room smell great!
Paint with Clouds
Give each child a large piece of blue paper. Set out some white paint. Give each child a cotton ball. Let them dip it into the white paint, then press onto the blue paper. The will be painting with clouds!
**A longer and really fun version of the rain poem: Rain on the doghouse Rain on the dog Rain on the duck pond Rain on the log Rain on the grass and Rain on the tree Rain on my umbrella but not on me!
Fun in the Rain ( Tune: Deck the Halls)
Do you hear the pitter patter? Hear the little raindrops falling down.
Can you see the splashing water? All the little raindrops on the ground.
Time to get our big umbrellas We don't want to get our hair all wet.
If you wear your boots and raincoat, We will go outside and splash a bit!
From Sing a Song All Year Long By Connie Walters and Diane Totten T.S. Denison & Co.
Do you see a sign of Spring? (Tune of "Did you ever see a lassie")
Oh, do you see a sign of Spring
a sign of Spring, a sign of Spring?
Oh, do you see a sign of spring?
Please, tell us what you see!
Spring Won't Spring! (Tune of "This is the Song That Never Ends" Shari Lewis & Lambchop)
This winter doesn't want to end,
It just goes on and on my friend.
Some people started thinking that it would be over soon,
But every day it snows some more and now it's almost June! (repeat over and over again!)
My eyes can see it's springtime(Tune of Did you ever see a lassie)
My eyes can see its springtime, its springtime, its springtime
My eyes can see its spring time the grass is so green
The green grass, the flowers, the sunshine, the showers
My eyes can see its springtime the grass is to green
This Is My Garden (Fingerplay)
This is my garden (place left hand, palm toward sky, in front of you)
I'll rake it with care (use first 3 crooked fingers of right hand to "rake" left palm)
Then some flower seeds I'll plant in there (with thumb and forefinger "pinchers" touch garden four times to plant seeds)
The sun will shine (right hand pinchers in air above "garden" twist wrist and open fingers)
The rain will fall (wiggle fingers of right hand down to garden)
And my garden will blossom and grow straight and tall (put right hand under left hand "garden" push right hand fingers up through left hand to grow)
Barb's Little Dumplin's
