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Spring Activities

Spring Activities for Your Classroom

With the clocks ready to move forward and gardens full of daffodils, it is clear that Spring is finally here. Spring is always an exciting season with new life fizzing in the earth and baby animals appearing in fields and nests. Why not try some of our spring activities in your classroom and make the most of this brilliant season?

New Life in Spring

Going Green

In Spring, trees start to unfurl their new bright green leaves and blossom, whilst flowers such as Daffodils, Crocuses and Tulips appear in gardens and along roadsides. But why does this happen in Spring? Why not discuss this new growth with your pupils? Why do they think plants revive in Spring?

Plants need water, light, warmth and soil or compost to grow. During spring they get the conditions they need to begin to grow. The showery weather gives them the water they need. The longer days mean they have more daylight and warmth from the Sun which raises the temperature of both air and soil. In addition, last year’s fallen leaves have decomposed into the soil, adding much-needed nutrients.

Leaves help plants to make the most of the extra sunlight, using ‘photosynthesis’ to get the nutrients they need from carbon dioxide and water. Blossom helps early flowering trees, especially fruit trees, to pollinate by providing an early source of food for insects like bees. Why not ask your pupils to create posters showing what plants need to grow in the spring?

Spring Act

Spring Arrivals

Lots of baby animals arrive in Spring. Ask your class how many they can name. They may say:

Lambs, nesting birds, calves, tadpoles (frogspawn), foxes, otters, rabbits, deer, goats, swans, ducks, seals.

Why do your pupils think animals are born at this time of year?

Spring is a great time of year to be born, as there is an abundance of food available to help baby animals grow strong and the warmer weather helps them to survive as well. Being born early in the year also gives them plenty of time to get to full strength before the hardship of winter strikes.

Easter

Due to its proximity to Spring, Easter is often associated with baby animals and, of course, eggs. See the craft section below, for some great Easter spring activities. Did you know that PTS has Easter reward stickers? Take a look at this great range here.

Spring Weather

Thunder and Lightning

Thunder storms are common in Spring, but can your pupils tell whether these common lightning myths are true or false?

Lightning never strikes the same place twice – False – the Empire State Building in New York is struck by lightning between 25 and 100 times per year.
Lightning only happens when it’s raining – False – Lightening can hit up to three miles outside of a thunder storm, meaning that places bathed in sunshine can be struck by lightning too.
Wearing headphones makes you more likely to be hit by lightning – False – The tallest things will be hit by lightning first, so if you’re walking down the street listening to your favourite songs, lightning is more likely to hit a tree or a building than you.
The rubber tires on your car will protect you from lightning – False – Your car is a safe place to shelter from thunder and lightning but not because of the tires. If your car is hit by lightning, the electricity is conducted through the outer metal framework of the car without harming anyone inside.

Getting Warmer

If your pupils are wondering about why it gets warmer in Spring why not give them this simple explanation? It’s all because of the earth’s tilt. During the Spring and Summer the earth tilts toward the sun and temperatures start to rise. The amount of heat the northern half of the earth gets increases, so the season warms up.

Making the Most of Daylight

On Sunday 31st March 2024 the clocks will go forwards by one hour to give us more daylight in the evenings over Spring and Summer. Find out why daylight savings was introduced on the Newsround website here.

Weather Station

There are some great spring activities focusing on weather. It’s a great time of year to set up a mini weather station at school, because we still have some wintry weather alongside Spring sunshine and showers. Why not keep a record of daily rainfall, wind direction and hours of sunshine?

Weather

Spring Crafts

Blossom Bubbles

Bubble painting is a great way to create a Spring blossom effect. Fill paper bowls up halfway with water then add a generous dollop of washing up liquid and a different colour of non-toxic paint to each bowl. Give them a quick mix. Explain to your pupils that they need to use a straw to blow into their chosen colour to create bubbles (don’t forget to tell them not to suck!). When their bowl is sufficiently bubbly, they should carefully lay an A4 piece of white paper across it. Once their bubble picture is dry, they can use brown paint to add a trunk and branches.

Egg Rolling

One of the more traditional Spring activities, egg rolling gives your pupils a great opportunity to personalise a hard-boiled egg with their choice of design before seeing whose egg can roll the furthest. You could run heats across the school, before a grand final to find out who has the champion egg.

For more crafty Spring activities, take a look at the Easy Peasy and Fun website here.