After a long winter stuck inside, spring is such a welcome change (especially for little ones!). That’s why I love having spring activities for toddlers and big kids ready to go for the second we can escape the winter and head outside to play.
Here, you’ll find a mix of Montessori-style activities, simple crafts, games, and even mindfulness activities for your toddler–all with a spring theme in mind. And no jumping from one web page to the next because almost everything you need is right here! Let’s dive on into our favorite spring time toddler activities…
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Outdoor Spring Activities for Toddlers
The best part about spring is finally getting to go outside without spending half an hour getting your toddler suited up in their snow gear! Why not take advantage of the nice weather to do some fun outside activities?
1. Color Scavenger Hunt
This activity gives your toddler a chance to explore and observe the newly alive world around them! Simply grab a paper lunch sack, scribble several colors on it, and label each color (Hint: Pick colors that you expect to find on your walk. Grey, brown, and black might not be as vivid, but you’ll be sure to find them. If blue flowers don’t grow in your area, maybe skip blue).
Then, go on a nature walk with your toddler. As you go, let your child look for small objects that match each color. They can collect them in their sack and then show you their treasures when they get home. Science and mindfulness, all in one!
2. Planting Flowers
No matter how old you get, the fact that you can grow a flower from a tiny seed will never be anything short of magical. And when you’re teaching your toddler about plants for the first time, it can be even more amazing!
Pick a hardy flower variety or two that will thrive in your area and help your child plant it. You can start from seed if you prefer, or you can buy seedlings to get a head start. Either way, spend time throughout the growing season checking on your plant.
2. Bubble Party
The simple activity of blowing bubbles outside makes kids and grown-ups happy. Heck, even my dog will chase bubbles! And if you want something that won’t spill everywhere twenty seconds into the party, check out a fun bubble machine!
Wisdomlit Bubble Machine
Product Features
- 8000 bubbles per minute
- Tank holds 300 mL for up to 40 min of continuous use
- Powered by 6 C batteries or a wall adapter
While it can be fun for kids to blow their own bubbles, it can get difficult (especially for the youngest toddlers). That’s why I recommend a bubble machine for maximum bubble play.
Pros
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Produces a LOT of bubbles
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Rotating blower will stop if touched -safer for children
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Can be powered by batteries or a wall outlet
Cons
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While lots of bubbles may be a great thing outside, this machine might produce too many for indoor use and cause a wet carpet
3. Have a Picnic
Putting together a picnic doesn’t have to be complicated. Cut up some fruit, gather up some crackers and hummus or cheese, and hang out at a table or on a blanket at the local park. This special outing will give your little one the chance to enjoy the sunshine along with their favorite snacks.
4. Flower Pressing
Looking forward to keeping a memory of your special springtime together? Teach your child how to press flowers!
While it is possible to DIY flower pressing with some old newspaper and several heavy books, you may want to get a flower pressing kit to make things easier.
Suziko Flower Press
Product Features
- 10.8″ x 6.9″ press
- Contains all the tools you need to press your own flowers and leaves
- Comes with 5 bookmarks that you can press your flowers on
This beautiful flower press allows your little one to express themselves. They can make a bookmark, a picture, and more with the springtime flowers they collect and keep.
Pros
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Smooth hardwood plates prevent damage to flowers
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Large 10.8 x 6.9 plates fit large specimens
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2 year warranty
Cons
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Requires adult supervision
5. Flower Dissection
If your child enjoys observing nature a little more closely, why not let them explore through dissection? Your child may not be ready for cutting frogs open, but they can certainly see what’s inside a flower. Pick a few flowers (maybe during your color scavenger hunt!) and let your little one pull them apart with some plastic tweezers (here’s a cheap pack of 12 tweezers from Amazon).
Remember, your 2 year old doesn’t have to know the names of all the flower anatomy yet! So instead of trying to label the pistil and stamens (do you even remember those words from years ago?), just enjoy looking at how different a flower looks when it’s pulled in half.
6. Line Jumping
If your little one needs more gross motor activities (like running, jumping, or pushing objects), this could be the game for you!
Grab some sidewalk chalk (or sidewalk chalk paint) and mark 6 or 7 lines on the ground (remember to not space them too far out). Let your little one stand in front of the first line and see how far they can jump. You could also hand your kids the reins and let them measure how far they jump instead. Whatever they enjoy works!
Indoor / Rainy Day Spring Activities for Toddlers
While it’s great to enjoy pretty weather with your little one, we all know that doesn’t happen every day in spring. After all, “April showers bring May Day flowers” and all that jazz. Here’s some spring time activities to do with some fun toddler tunes when it’s a rainy day.
7. Rainbow Stacker Play
We all hope to see a rainbow after a spring shower, but why not let your little one play with a rainbow while waiting for outdoor time? This nesting rainbow is perfect for stacking, building roads or homes for small toys, and more.
Blue Ginkgo 10 Piece Silicone Rainbow Stacker
Product Details
- 7.2″ x 3.55″
- Sort, stack and play with this 10 piece rainbow stacker
- Made from food-grade silicone
This silicone rainbow stacker is a modern, plastic-free alternative to the classic wooden rainbow stacking toy. It’s made from food grade silicone and won’t crack or splinter.
Pros
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Perfect for sensory play
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Smooth texture may be preferable to the traditional wooden rainbow
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Easy to wash or even sanitize in boiling water
Cons
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Somewhat smaller than many wooden rainbow stackers
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Largest arches may collapse under smaller ones when stacked too high
8. Water Cycle Mobile
Do you want to teach your little one about the rain coming down outside? You can do it with this water cycle mobile inspired by The Creative Classroom!
You can download a free pdf with instructions if you want to, but your older toddler can also simply make a sunshine, clouds, rainy sky, and lake below using different colors of construction paper. This craft is a great chance to develop prewriting and scissor skills!
9. Toilet Paper Roll Bunnies
You might remember doing this classic craft yourself in preschool! Younger kids can color directly on the roll (instead of cutting and wrapping with construction paper). You can help them draw legs and ears to cut out of construction paper or card stock.
And of course, you aren’t limited to bunnies. You can make ducklings, kittens, dinosaurs… whatever animal your child loves!
10. Paint with Water
This activity is perfect for when you want to let your kid be crafty, but you also don’t want to clean paint off the walls. Just let your child pick their favorite color of construction paper, give them a cup of water and a paint brush, and let them go to town! They’ll be delighted to see their designs show up on the paper. If you don’t have a paint brush, you can give your kids cotton balls or a Q-tip instead.
I was impressed that my 3 kids (toddler to first grade at the time) all loved this activity. I was afraid that they’d catch on that the water wasn’t real paint, but they didn’t seem to mind.
When their art disappears a few hours later, you can talk about the water cycle again from the mobile craft and tell them that the water from their “painting” evaporated!
11. Match and Glue Pom Poms
This activity is almost zero prep time for you, but lots of fun for your little one! Get a piece of white paper and draw little dots of several different colors on it. Then, give your toddler a little tub of pom poms (be sure to supervise if they still put things in their mouth!) and let them cover up the dots with the poms. If you want, you can even let them glue the pom poms down.
12. Dyeing Eggs
Dyeing Easter eggs is a fun spring past time! Plus, it’s a great chance for your little one to explore how colors mix together.
You can boil the eggs and do any setup before you get your toddler involved if you want to keep things easy. We also suggest putting down a layer of newspaper or paper towels for easy cleanup after the dyeing process.
Toddler Spring Time Mindfulness / Wind Down Activities
Sometimes, the most important thing you can do with your toddler is give them an opportunity to self regulate. Here’s a few spring-related activities to help them settle down after a tantrum, or even to help them get ready for bed.
13. Sniffing Flowers Breathing Exercise
No actual flowers are needed for this activity. Instead, simply tell your little one, “Imagine you are holding a pretty flower. Slowly sniff in the scent. Then, gently blow the smell out like you’re blowing dandelion fluff.”
Teach your child to use this type of breathing when they feel upset or have big feelings. Eventually, you’ll see them taking deep breaths to calm down all on their own!
14. Guided Imagery
Kids have a great imagination, so it’s easy for them to follow along with guided imagery. Before bed, have them snuggle down in their covers and close their eyes. Then, tell them something like this, pausing between sentences to give them plenty of time to imagine between prompts:
Lie down in a comfy position. Then, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Now, imagine that you are lying on a soft, fluffy cloud. It lifts you up, up, up into the sky and takes you to a special place with lots of flowers.
Now imagine your cloud gently bringing you back down to the ground, so you can look around at all the beautiful flowers. Notice all the colors you can see, the sounds you can hear, and the smells in the air. You can explore as long as you like.
When you are ready, you can get back on your cloud and float back home. Imagine the cloud bringing you back to bed, where you can rest and dream about your adventure.
15. Springtime Books for Toddlers
Bedtime books are so much fun for toddlers, and even more so when they connect with the seasons! The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic option that wows babies and toddlers with its gorgeous illustrations. Littles will love the board book version beause they can stick their fingers into the holes through the strawberries, plums, and chocolate cake.
- Now even younger children can follow the little green caterpillar as he eats his way to becoming a beautiful butterfly in this sturdy board book
- Great for early development
- Children will enjoy this delightful tale
- Ages 3 to 7
- Hardcover Book
Younger toddlers will also enjoy the Pat the Bunny series as they get to touch and feel textures.
- Kunhardt, Dorothy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 20 Pages – 01/06/2015 (Publication Date) – Golden Books (Publisher)
Spring Activities Are Fun for Parents and Toddlers!
We hope these activities give you a springboard into having fun with your little one this upcoming spring. Remember: it doesn’t take much money or effort to get outside and learn! All you need is an imagination, some simple crafting supplies, and an eager toddler.
What are your favorite spring activities to do with your toddler?
