Spring

[Anna]

Does anyone have any circle time activities to do with preschool children and the theme of Spring? Any learning lessons?

[Leigh]

Well since things begin to bloom and grow in spring. Here is an idea that one of my co-workers gave me. You take some m&m's and plant them in the ground. Then you go out and water them every day. After a few days, you find a big branch and plant it in the ground with packets of m&ms taped to it. Viola you have grown a m&m tree. Of couse don't let them see you plant the tree. LOL!!

I don't know if this is what you are talking about, but I hope that it helps. We aren't allowed to do it at the center where I work though. We are not allowed to give the children candy.

[Sheryl]

Here are a few things that I found a while back...


Flowers & Gardening

Turn the dramatic play area into a greenhouse with a Lawn/Garden Service. Possible materials to
have on hand: gardening hat, gardening aprons, remnant of green turf-like carpet from a carpet
store, play lawn mowers, gardening gloves, watering cans, wheelbarrows, pieces of hose (about
3-4ft. lengths) with handled spray nossles attached with duct tape, plastic flower pots, plastic
flowers, pails, toy rake, shovel and hoe, gardening tools (hand held trowel, shovel, rake),
cornstarch-type "peanut" type bits (to be leaves which need raking, soil to put in pots, dirt to be
dug in.

Make a feely box with parts of a tree inside, bark, seeds, flowers, stems. etc.

#1 Buy amarillys bulbs on sale after Christmas and plant them. Measure them every day because
they grow fast and even the kids can see the difference. Keep a recod of how fast they grow. I use
different colored flowers and also compare which color grows the fastest.

#2 Trace around children's hand on brightly colored paper and glue to chenille stick. Roll fingers
over a pencil for petals. Take cupcake papers and flatten. Using Crayola Ink pads have children
put their fingertips on pad and stamp in the center of cupcake papers. You can also have them
fringe the outside of the papers and curl over a pencil or their finger. Add chenille sticks and
paper leaves. Put in a vase and on Friday children can take home to their mothers.

Create Coloured Flowers

What you need - 4 glasses of water, each 1/4 filled. 4 white daisies, carnations or Queen Anne's
Lace, Food colouring.

What to do - Add enough food colouring to turn the water in each glass a different colour (about
5 drops depending on the size of the glass.) Cut the stem of each flower. Place flower in the glass.
See how long it takes for the flower to turn the colour of the water.

In My Little Garden

In my little garden with a lovely view. Sunflowers are smiling, one and two. In my little garden by
the apple tree, Daffodils are dancing, one, two, three. In my little garden by the kitchen door,
Roses are blooming, one, two, three, four. In my little garden by the winding drive, Violets are
growing, one, two, three, four, five! (Children hold up a required number of fingers each time.
Show the children pictures of the different flowers that are mentioned in the rhyme.)

Tongue Depressor Flowers

Materials - tongue depressors, a variety of coloured construction paper. Colour or paint tongue
depressors green. Cut petal shapes from construction paper and have the children glue the petals
to the top of the tongue depressors. Cut leaf shapes from green construction paper and attach a
couple to the stem. Display on your bulletin board.
Spring Flowers

Make spring flowers by using pastel coloured cupcake papers for the blossoms. Colour in green
stems and leaves or cut them from green construction paper. Use a pretty pastel paper as a
background.

Flower Relay Races

Relay races are done in teams. The players of each team must race to a vase full of artificial or
paper flowers, pick a flower out of the vase, and race back to their team. The next person races
down to the flowers, picks one, and so on. The first team to finish is the winner.

I'm A Little Flower Pot

I'm a little flower pot mom (dad) put out. (point to self) If you take care of me, I will sprout. (nod
head, point to self) When you water me, I will grow. (make sprinkling motions with right hand)
Into a pretty flower, don't you know. (raise left hand slowly up from floor, make wide circle with
hands) (This poem can also be sung to the tune "I'm a Little Teapot.")

Flower

I'd like to be a flower, (cup hands together) With petals for my head. When nighttime comes, I'd
fold up (fold hands together) A never go to bed. (shake head "no")

A Bouquet

Place a colourful bouquet of flowers in front of your class. Point out the different heights of the
flowers. The children then move the flowers into a second vase, moving the tallest flower first,
then the next tallest, etc. When the smallest flower is finally moved, find a place in the room for
the bouquet.


* Poem for children to write by writing flower attributes (eg. tall, yellow, pretty, funny...) I like
flowers, ____ flowers, _____ flowers, ____ ______ _____ flowers, I like flowers.

* Make flower cupcakes - cut marshmallows into slices and dip the sticky sides into 100's and
1000's. Ice cupcakes, put a smartie in the middle of each, and place the marshmallow slices
around as petals. Very effective!

* Children draw a flower picture with glue and sprinkle on sand.

* Seed collage - children paint glue in sections of flower picture and add different seeds in each
section. Look great but parents hate the seeds that fall off in the car on the way home!LOL

* Circle game - walk around in circle with one child in middle as flower, and sing "Little flower oh
what do you need, what do you need, what do you need, Little flower oh what do you need, to
grow up big and strong." The child then names something the flower needs and chooses someone
to come into the centre (eg. water, support, sunshine, nutrients).

* Handprint flowers - glue a circle in the middle of the page, then place hand prints all around it as
the petals.

Daffodils Baking cups, Popsicle stick or pipe cleaner Give the children yellow and white paper
baking cups. Have them each flatten one of the cups and spread glue on the center portion. Then
have them each place a second cup upright on top of the glue to make a daffodil. If desired, let
the children attach Popsicle sticks or pipe cleaners for stems.

Egg Cup Bluebells Egg carton, Pipe cleaners, Paper leaves, Tempera paint Cut the egg cups out
of cardboard egg cartons. Then cut the cups into bluebell shapes and let the children paint them
blue. When the paint has dried, make stems by inserting the ends of green pipe cleaners through
the bottoms of the bluebells, then bending the pipe cleaners into cane shapes. Let the children
poke holes in the ends of precut green construction paper leaves and thread them on their bluebell
stems.

Kazoo flower toilet paper roll, hole puncher, 4 in. X 4 in. piece of paper, elastic band, colored
paper for flower and leaves Punch hole into toilet paper roll about an inch in. Use the piece of
paper and attach it to the toilet paper roll using the elastic band. (This must be done on the side
that has the hole.) Attach a colorful fringe for the petals and green leaves for decoration.

Raised Flower Painting toilet paper, paper towels, paint, paper, paint brush After painting a
picture of a flower pot and leaves have the children roll a piece of toilet paper (or paper towel) up
in a spiral (snail shape) and dip it into the paint. Apply the toilet paper to the paper in a spiral
motion. Glue may be needed to keep the paper in place after it dries.

Wheelbarrow Pot Laundry Detergent Scoop, Milk Jug Lids, Potting soil, Grass 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 wheel barrow. . Next add potting soil and let the
kids plant seeds in it. Plant either grass seeds or beans because they grow so fast.

Popcorn Flowers Popcorn (popped), Plastic baggies, Powdered tempera, green construction
paper, tagboard Pop popcorn (reserving some to eat after craft is finished.) Put handfuls of
popcorn in plastic baggies 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
tagboard. Glue on the colored popcorn to make spring flowers.

Sensory Table: child sized watering cans and pails of water, mud/dirt, wet sand and sand molds,
Plastic plants & flowers

Â*
Spring Flowers

Trace around 1 hand on yellow paper Trace around 1 hand on red paper Cut them out Cut out
one of each 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



Seeds Some seeds fall And some seeds float Some seeds ride On a kitten's coat.
Some are large And some are small Some you can scarcely See at all.
Some are round And some are flat Some have stickers And things like that.
And something else That's nice to know - When you plant a seed, It starts to grow.
It might be a flower It might be a weed But something grows From most every seed.

Plant a flower day---If you have a 'brown thumb' try Paperwhites. They grow quickly (fast
enough for a toddler's attention span) and they can be planted in a bowl in rocks (less mess)
indoors (if it is cold in your area or you do not have a garden area).

Make a Seed Plaque: Collect a wide variety of seeds, dried weeds, leaves, branches, acorns, buds,
nuts, etc. Have kids arrange and glue what they chose to a section of chipboard or plywood (or
some other sturdy background such as heavy cardboard). Can be coated with a clear varnish.
Attach a hanger to the back for displaying.

Flower Garden (sung to the tune of "Farmer in the Dell")
The farmer plants the seeds, The farmer plants the seeds, Hi Ho Cherry-O The farmer plants the
seeds.
other verses:
The rain begins to fall..... The sun begins to shine.... The plants begins to grow.... The buds all
open up..... The flowers smile at me.....
I'll Plant a Little Seed (sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'll plant a little seed in the dark, dark, ground, Out comes the yellow sun, big and round, Down
comes the rain, soft and slow, Up comes the little seed, grow, grow, grow!


The cups of the tulip are yellow and pink. They hold dew and honey for fairies to drink. If I get up
early and dress in a wink, Will I see a fairy now what do you think?


Yellow yellow daffodil, dancing in the sun.. oh yellow , yellow daffodil, you tell me spring has
come. I can hear a blue bird sing, and hear a robin call. but yellow yellow daffodil I love you most
of all.

Â*

FLOWER PETAL GAME MATERIALS: Blue posterboard, black felt pens, colored construction
paper, tape, scissors. Draw a large flower head on a blue posterboard. Cut out petals from
colored construction paper. Print a flower question on the back of each petal and tape them
around the flower head.Suggested flower petal questions are listed below.

What color would you be? What kind of insect would you like to attract? What would you smell
like--chocolate, perfume, or french fries? How tall would you be? If someone picked you, what
would you say to them? If someone picked you, where would you like to go-in a vase, in
someone's hair, or in a fish tank? Where would you like to grow-in a garden, on a mountain, or at
the bottom of the ocean? What would you be afraid of-someone stepping on you, a lawn mower,
or a rabbit nibbling on your petals? What kind of flower would you be? If someone in the
Learning Circle could pick you and take you home, who would it be?

Â*
Seed Viewers Supplies: Clear Plastic Cup, Black construction Paper, Paper Towels, Bean seeds
Use a clear plastic cup that is 6-12 inches tall. Cut black construction paper so it fits inside, up
against the cup walls. Fill the center with wadded up paper towels. "Plant" bean seeds between
the cup walls and construction paper, about 1/2 - 2/3 down. Water the paper towels and keep
MOIST. Bean seeds will grow and you can view root growth, what happens to seeds, etc. They
can grow quite large and will be fine as long as you keep paper towels moist.


Flower shapes (5 identical pairs of colours) Cut ten identical flower shapes from construction
paper and group them in pairs. Glue a different kind of fabric to each pair of flowers. Mix up the
flowers and let the children take turns finding the matching pairs. Variation: Cut pairs of identical
flower shapes from five different colours of construction paper. Let the children take turns finding
the flowers with matching colours. For older children instead of matching colours they can match
number with dots.


In Our Springtime Garden (Sung to 'The Mulberry Bush')
What a lovely time of year, Time of year, time of year. What a lovely time of year In our
springtime garden. See the flowers swing and sway, Swing and sway, swing and sway. See the
flowers swing and sway In our springtime garden.

Flower paint brushes
Flowers, Tempera paint, Paper -- Give each child some flower blossoms and a piece of white
paper. Set out small dishes of tempera paint. Let the children use their flowers as paint brushes to
dab the paint on their papers.





Egg Carton Nursery Materials: Egg carton, marigold seeds, 12 half eggshells, teaspoon, potting
soil, water Have children fill an egg carton with empty halves of egg shells. Next fill each shell
with potting soil and carefully plant one or two marigold seeds in each shell. Water each shell with
a teaspoon of water. Seeds will sprout more quickly if the lid of the egg carton is kept closed so
that the seeds will stay warm. When the seeds sprout, have the children replant the seedlings
outside, crushing each shell as they place it into the ground.

Tool Time
Children are fascinated by gardening tools. Take time to introduce the tools they'll be using and
demonstrate the proper usage of each one. Review the importance of using the tools safely and
remind children that only safe gardening practices will be allowed. (In our garden, any students
misusing tools must sit outside of the garden for a few minutes until they feel able to resume
gardening safely. We also acknowledge children who are putting the tools to proper use.)

Animal Farms
Enhance your gardening efforts with animal habitats such as worm farms, butterfly gardens, and
ant farms. Science catalogs such as Edmund Scientific or Nasco stock supplies for such projects
or you might try setting up your own. For example, use a large glass jar filled with potting soil, a
few drops of water, and a slice of apple serves as a perfect observation tank for ants or
earthworms. Be certain to cover the sides of your jar with black construction paper during
off-hours so your creatures will get the darkness they crave when not being observed. Use a
rubber band to secure a piece of fine cheesecloth over the jar top.

Seed packets can easily be turned into a memory game. Collect pairs of matching seed packets,
mount on construction paper and place face down. Challenge children to turn packets over two at
a time in an attempt to make a match.

Show the children the spattered looking pages in The Tiny Seed. Invite the children to paint or
color a picture and then using toothbrushes, spatter the pictures with paint.

Have children pick flowers from your garden, or on a walk, or from home. Lay the flowers
between two pieces of waxed paper. Iron with a warm iron and store overnight under a heavy
book. Frame or cut into strips for a bookmark.

Housekeeping Area
Turn this area into a nursery and the children can shop for and buy seeds, tools, and plants.
Supply play money so they can ,,buy(per thousand) what they want.

Mathematics
Let the children look through seed catalogs and select a page they like. Glue it onto construction
paper and then laminate or onto tagboard. Cut the picture into puzzle shape pieces and give to
child to put together.

Sort Seeds. Make a chart supplying samples of each. Pour different variety of seeds in a clear jar.
Let children sort the seed which are alike into trays or plastic glasses.
Place 2 white carnations with stems split halfway up into 2 jars of water with different food
coloring solutions. Observe what happens.

Cooking
Make garden soup. If you don,t have a wide variety of vegetables in your garden, have students
bring in one ingredient.Â*

Relaxing Flowers
Five litttle flowers standing in the sun (hold up five fingers) See their heads nodding, bowing one
by one? (bend fingers several times) Down, down, down comes the gentle rain (raise hands,
wiggle fingers and lower arms to simulate falling rain) And the five little flowers lift their heads up
again! (hold up five fingers) Little seed in the ground below (form your bodies into balls) Felt the
heat of the warm sun's glow (rub hands over arms) Heard the raindrops pitter patter (place hand
behind ear) Wondered why the birds did chatter (place hand on head as if pondering) So the seed
began to grow (begin to rise) And poked it's head up very slow (lift head) What it saw was such a
sight (rub eyes) The plant was in a garden bright! (throw arms apart)

Flower Hangings: Cover a table with towels. Give each child 2 circles cut out of waxed paper.
Place a variety of fresh floers in the center of the table and let each child choose several to arrange
on top of one of his or her waxed paper circles. Have each child cover his or her flowers with the
second piece of waxed paper. Then place a towel on top of each child's waxed paper circles and
press with a warm iron to seal the edges together. Use a hole punch to make holes at the tops of
the circles. Thread pieces of yarn through the holes and arrange the flower hangings in a window.

Daffodils: Give the children yellow and white paper baking cups. Have them each flatten one of
the cups and spread glue on the center portion. Then have them each place a second cup upright
on top of the glue to make a daffodil. If desired, let the childrne attach popsicle sticks or pipe
cleaners for stems.

Flower Match ups Cut ten identical flower shapes from construciton paper and group them in
pairs. Glue a different kind of fabric to each pair of flowers. Mix up the flowers and let the
children take turns finding the matching pairs.

Four Little Flowers Cut 4 flower shapes out of felt and place them on a flannel board. Let the
childrne take turns removing the flowers as you recite the following poem: 4 little flowers I did
see. I picked one, then there were three. Three little flowers, pretty and new. I picked another,
then there were two. Two little flowers out in the sun. I picked on emore, then there was one.
One little flower left in the sun. I picked it too, then there were none.

Flowers Are Blooming Tune To: Frere Jacques Flowers are blooming, flowers are blooming, All
around, all around. All the pretty colors, all the pretty colors. On the ground, on the ground. Let's
go see them. Repeat. Blooming bright, repeat. Use your nose to smell them. Use your eyes to see
them. What a sight! What a sight.

In Our Springtime Garden (Tune to: The Mulberry Bush) What a lovely time of year, time of
year, time of year. What a lovely time of year. In our springtime garden. See the flowers swing
and sway, Swing and sway, swing and sway. See the flowers swing and sway in our springtime
garden.

Flowers - art Cut out wreath shapes from constrution paper (white paper works well) Have the
children cover them with glue (I even coloured the glue with food colouring) Then have them
sprinkle potpourri, pedals... They make pretty 'dried flower' wreaths!

Ages 3 to 5
These Ideas I have collected from different places.

Paper Plate Sun Flowers
Materials: Paper plates, yellow paint, brushes, glue, sunflower seeds, green paper
Activity: Have the children paint their paper plates yellow to make 'flowers'. When plate is dry put
glue on plate and glue sunflower seeds on the middle of their plates. Attach them to green paper
stems to create a sunflower garden.

Daffodils
Materials: Baking cups, Popsicle stick or pipe cleaner
Give the children yellow and white paper baking cups. Have them each flatten one of the cups and
spread glue on the center portion. Then have them each place a second cup upright on top of the
glue to make a daffodil. If desired, let the children attach Popsicle sticks or pipe cleaners for
stems.

Daisies
Have the children cut out a circle and glue it to the center of a paper plate. Show them how to cut
petals in a variety of colors and glue them around the circle to form a daises. Have the children
add stems and leaves.

Kazoo flower
Materials:
Toilet paper roll hole puncher 4 in. X 4-in. piece of paper elastic band coloured paper for flower
and leaves.
What to Do: Punch hole into toilet paper roll about an inch in. Use the piece of paper and attach
it to the toilet paper roll using the elastic band. (This must be done on the side that has the hole.)
Attach a colorful fringe for the petals and green leaves for decoration.

Popcorn Flowers
Materials: Popcorn (popped) Plastic Baggies Powdered tempera Green construction paper
Tagboard
What to Do: Pop popcorn reserving some to eat after craft is finished!! Put handfuls of popcorn
in plastic Baggies 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
tagboard. Glue on the coloured popcorn to make spring flowers.
Raised Flower Painting
Materials: toilet paper paper towels paint paper paint brush
What to Do: After painting a picture of a flowerpot and leaves have the children roll a piece of
toilet paper (or paper towel) up in a spiral (snail shape) and dip it into the paint. Apply the toilet
paper to the paper in a spiral motion. Glue may be needed to keep the paper in place after it dries.

Vase of Spring Flowers
materials needed: colored tissue paper if various shades paint brush, glue, baby food jars, egg
cartons or paper cupcake liners pipe cleaners
Directions: Have the children tear various colors of tissue paper into small pieces. Add a small
amount of water to the glue. Paint glue onto a jar using a paint brush, then apply the glue all over
the outside of the tissue paper pieces too, to assure all the edges stick good. While the jar (vase)
is drying, cut individual egg cups from an egg carton, or use paper cupcake liners. Attach pipe
cleaners to the egg carton/paper liners. Glue paper leaves to the pipe cleaner. Once completed put
the flowers in the vase.

Glitter Flowers
Construction Paper, any color glitter, assorted colors glue
Have the children make a stem design using glue. Sprinkle green glitter on the glue, shake the
excess off. Have them make a flower design with the glue. Sprinkle on any color glitter they
desire. Add petals, and leaves.
And then some flower seeds

FORGET-ME-NOTSÂ*
Materials: White Construction Paper Blue facial tissues Hole punch
What to Do: Draw leafy forget-me-not stems on sheets of white construction paper. Let the
children glue small pieces torn from blue facial tissue all over their stems to make blossoms. Then
let them use a hole punch to punch circles out of white construction paper and glue them in the
centers of their blossoms. While doing this activity, talk about how forget-me-nots are considered
to be flowers of friendship.

Bluebells
Materials: Egg Cartons Light Blue Paint Green Pipe Cleaners Green Construction Paper
What to Do: Cut egg cups out of cardboard egg cartons. Then cut the cups into bluebell shapes
and let the children paint them light blue. When the paint has dried, make stems by inserting the
ends of green pipe cleaners through the bottoms of the bluebells, then bending the pipe cleaners
into cane shapes. If desired, let the children poke holes in the ends of precut green construction
paper leaves and thread them on their bluebell stems.

[kat]

Wow Sheryl, Thanks for all the great ideas. I didn't ask for any, but I'm sure going to use some. :)