7 Spring Learning Ideas for Kindergarten
Spring is one of the most exciting and busy times of year in the classroom. There's something about warmer weather and sunshine that brings a sense of newness and fun. Between school activities, assessments, and learning new skills, you don't have time to prep complicated activities. Save the prep and stress and try these fresh spring learning ideas for kindergarten instead!
#1: Build a Rainbow
The first of the spring learning ideas for kindergarten is a bright and colorful one that will offer meaningful skill practice during center rotations or partner practice.
To prep, you'll need a large sheet of 9 x 12 blue construction paper. Cut it in half lengthwise to make two 4 ½ x 12 pieces. This will represent your sky. Next, cut out 2 white clouds from white paper. Write the number 5 on one cloud and the number 10 on the other. Next, glue them to the top half of the blue sky pieces and laminate.
Then, choose 5 different colors of construction paper and cut them into 3 x 12 strips. You'll need 10 strips in all, 2 of each color. Separate the strips into 2 sets of 5 colors. Write number pairs for 5 on one set and number pairs for 10 on the other set. Laminate the strips for added durability.
For this activity, students will lay out both clouds and mix up the strips. They'll draw a strip, read the number pair, and place it under the correct cloud to show if it makes 5 or 10. They'll keep going, taking turns if they're working with a partner, until all of the strips have been sorted and the rainbow is complete.
You can differentiate this activity by making rainbow words instead. Simply write word families in the clouds and word family words on the rainbow strips. Students will match the words to the word family clouds to make the rainbow.
#2. Spring Crafts
What better way to show off all things spring than with spring learning crafts designed with kindergarteners in mind? Each craft was designed with large pieces that are perfect for small hands.
The Spring Crafts resource includes 12 crafts (4 math, 4 phonics, and 4 writing) which cover skills like blends, digraphs, CVC words, addition and subtraction, teen numbers, shapes, and more!
Thinking about getting crafty this spring? Check out the resource to get fresh work for your bulletin board!
#3: Weather Activities
Spring is the perfect time to incorporate seasonal weather activities into your spring learning ideas for kindergarten. These are simple and easy to do with your students but will have them oohing and ahhing!
Make it rain.
For this experiment, you'll need a clear plastic cup or a glass jar, shaving cream, and blue food coloring. To conduct the experiment, fill the cup or jar with water. Squirt shaving cream on top of the water to make a “cloud.” Explain to students that when the clouds get heavy with water, it rains! Next, put blue food coloring on top of the cloud and watch as it moves through the cloud, making “rain.”
Tornado in a jar.
For this DIY science activity, you'll need a jar with a lid, a teaspoon, vinegar, dish soap, and glitter. To conduct the experiment, fill the jar ¾ full with water. Put one teaspoon of vinegar and one teaspoon of dish soap in the water. Sprinkle in a small amount of glitter and close the lid tightly.
Swirl the jar in a circular motion and watch as a tornado forms in the center of the jar. Discuss with students where the vortex of the tornado is and that the glitter represents flying debris. Let each student take a turn swirling the jar to make a tornado. This is a great time to tie in weather safety into your discussion as well!
DIY weather graph.
This spring learning idea for kindergarten combines seasonal weather themes with graphing skills. Draw a basic graph on the whiteboard or chart paper with numbers to 1-10 listed vertically up the left side of the graph and different types of weather listed horizontally across the bottom.
Give students a sticky note and have them draw a picture of their favorite type of weather. Then, call students one at a time to come to the board, show the class their drawing and share their favorite type of weather, and add it to the graph. After the graph is complete, count the number of votes in each weather category and have students write the numbers on whiteboards.
Next, determine which weather type got the least amount of votes and which got the greatest amount of votes, and subtract to find the difference. You can also practice addition and subtraction skills by asking questions about the graph, such as “How many total votes did rainy weather and sunny weather get in all?”
#4: Spring Centers
Want to add a little themed fun to your centers? These spring centers feature clipart showing bugs, flowers, birdhouses, and more, adding the perfect touch of spring to your math and literacy centers.
There are 26 spring centers included (13 literacy and 13 math) to provide ample opportunity for your students to practice important kindergarten skills like:
- Beginning and Ending Sounds
- Short Vowels
- Real and Nonsense Words
- CVCe Words
- Rhyming
- Ten Frames
- Comparing Teen Numbers
- Addition with Pictures
- Subtraction using a Number Line
- Numbers to 100
- and more!
#5: Juggling Jelly Beans
Another fun spring learning idea for kindergarten is to practice comparing numbers with jelly beans! To begin, fill 2-3 colors of plastic Easter eggs with various amounts of jelly beans (or mini-erasers). Students will play with a partner, taking turns drawing an egg and counting the objects inside. The person with the most jelly beans gets to dab a spot on the free jelly bean game board to show they won that round. Play continues until one student fills up their game board and is declared the winner.
#6: Spring Morning Tubs
In the spring, your students are probably full of energy and craving excitement and fresh air. Start your mornings off on the right, productive, and less chaotic foot with spring-themed morning tub activities for kindergarten!
Your students will have a blast learning and warming up their brains for the day with these 21 hands-on math and literacy activities. Plus, they'll work on key fine motor skills, too!
These activities are easy to prep, require basic classroom supplies, and are perfect for morning tubs, fast finishers, or even to add to your math or literacy centers.
There is even an editable spring sight word activity included to help your students master their sight word list!
#7: Sight Word Flowers
Sight words are the focus of this spring learning idea for kindergarten. To prep, cut out several large, colored circles from construction paper to use as flowers. Cut out several green rectangles to use as stems. Write different sight words on the stems in black marker. Write the same sight words on the flowers. Students will draw a flower and match it to the correct flower stem, completing their flower.
You could also do this activity with teen numbers by writing teen numbers on the flowers and drawing various numbers of dots on the stems for students to match.
I hope these spring learning ideas for kindergarten have you feeling fresh and motivated to tackle the spring months in your classroom. Comment below and let me know which activity you're trying first!
