Spring Learning Activities for Children: 10 Fun and Easy Ideas

Spring is here! And it’s busy transforming the world around us. From buds appearing on the trees to worms wriggling up after the rain – this season is full of wonders just waiting to be explored! Whether you’re ready to brave the April showers or need some indoor boredom-busters, here are 10 fun and easy spring learning activities to help you discover nature together and spark some fun learning along the way.

10 Spring Learning Activity Ideas…

Packed with easy spring learning activities and nature-inspired ideas, this list will help keep your children entertained and learning all season long.

1. Spring Spotter Challenge
2. Grow Your Own Signs of Spring
3. Puddle Reflections & Rainbow Watching
4. Spring Sound Safari
5. Spring Weather Experiments
6. Puddle Jumping Physics Challenge
7. Build a Simple Insect Hotel
8. Make Symmetrical Spring Art
9. Spring Storytelling & Writing Prompts
10. FREE Spring Crafts

1. Spring Spotter Challenge

Head outside to the park, garden, or even just look out the window – how many signs of spring can your child spot? From butterflies to bluebells to bumblebees, there’s plenty to discover.

Make it extra fun with a spring learning photo challenge! Give your child a camera or tablet and let them snap their findings. They could even create a mini spring scrapbook.

2. Grow Your Own Signs of Spring

Watching something grow is one of the simplest (and most magical) ways to spot spring in action! No garden? No problem. Try planting cress in an eggshell or sprouting a bean in a jar – they’re both quick to grow and fascinating for children to observe.

3. Spring Puddle Reflections & Rainbow Watching

Spring showers don’t have to spoil the fun! Get outside after the rain and explore puddle reflections – they’re like natural mirrors. What can your child see in them? Trees? Clouds? Their own face? Try moving around and watching how the reflections shift and ripple.

Or keep a lookout for rainbows once the sun reappears. They’re the perfect excuse to chat about how light bends (or refracts) through water droplets to create that magical arc of colours. Don’t worry if you’re a bit rusty on the science! Just noticing and wondering together sparks curiosity.

4. Spring Sound Safari Activity

Close your eyes and listen, what sounds can you hear? Birds chirping? Bees buzzing? Raindrops tapping on leaves? Spring has its very own soundtrack!

• What do you like about each sound?
• How are they the same or different?
• Can you draw the sounds – what shapes or patterns might they make?
• Could you make a body movement to match each one?

These little questions help children tune into their environment and think creatively.

5. Spring Learning Weather Experiments

Spring weather is famously unpredictable – why not turn it into a science experiment with these spring learning activities…

• Make a simple rain gauge using an empty bottle and measure how much rain falls each day.
• Create a wind tracker by hanging ribbons outside – watch which way they blow and how strong the wind is!
• Record the temperature each day and see how it changes through the week (a basic thermometer works wonders).
• Try shadow tracking! Mark where your shadow falls at different times to explore how the spring sun moves across the sky.
• Make a daily weather wheel with pictures of sunshine, clouds, rain, and wind to track changing weather patterns.
• Keep a weather journal and compare predictions with actual results.

These types of spring activity ideas are brilliant for getting children thinking scientifically and spotting patterns in nature.

6. Puddle Jumping Physics Challenge

Spring showers = perfect puddle-jumping weather! But can your child jump without making a splash?

• Try different jumping techniques – do bigger jumps make bigger splashes?
• Does jumping faster or slower affect the splash?
• Mark splash zones with chalk or string and measure the splash radius.
• How does the size of the puddle change the splash?

This spring activity idea is a fun way to sneak in physics and problem-solving (if a little soggy!).

7. Build a Simple Insect Hotel

Bugs are waking up, so why not give them a cosy place to stay? A simple insect hotel can attract ladybirds, bees, and other helpful minibeasts to your garden.

These tiny visitors aren’t just fun to spot – they help pollinate plants and keep pesky pests in check. It’s a brilliant way to help your local ecosystem thrive!

How to make it:

• Fill a small box, plant pot, or tin with natural materials like twigs, pinecones, dry leaves, bark, or straw.
• Add rolled-up cardboard or bamboo tubes for extra bug hideouts.
• Place it in a quiet, sheltered outdoor spot (near plants or shrubs works well).
• Check in regularly to see which tiny guests have moved in!

Observation idea: Look closely at visiting minibeasts – how many legs do they have? What colours or patterns can you spot? Are they flying, crawling, or burrowing?

8. Simple Symmetry Spring Art

Spring is full of stunning, symmetrical patterns from butterfly wings to flower petals. Bring this natural beauty indoors with easy symmetry art!

• Butterfly symmetry: Fold paper in half, add paint to one side, then press and open for a mirrored butterfly wing effect.
• Folded flower prints: Try the same technique to make blooming spring flowers.
• Nature mandalas: Use leaves, petals, and stones to create circular, symmetrical patterns outside.
• Mirror drawing: Draw half a shape or pattern on one side of a line – can your child complete the other half?

9. Spring Storytelling & Writing Prompts

Encourage children to turn their spring discoveries into stories, poems, or mini reports! Spring is packed with inspiration for creative writing.

Here are a few fun ideas to spark their imagination:

• A day in the life of a butterfly – where would it go, what would it see, and who might it meet?
• Springtime adventure story – who are the characters? What’s their quest? Will they face stormy weather or a mischievous spring creature?
• Create a spring nature magazine – what articles, headlines, and images would feature? Which colours scream “spring” for their front cover?
• If spring could talk… – what would it say? Try writing a letter from ‘Spring’ to ‘Winter’ or even a funny poem!
• Find spring-themed word inspiration to incorporate into your writing in our free Spring wordsearch.

10. FREE Spring Crafts

Not in the mood to go outside? Bring spring indoors with free printable spring crafts!

• Spring Springs! – Colour and cut out pretty blooms and turn them into springy, bouncy decorations!
• Make a Daisy Chain – Just like the real thing, but paper chains last even longer!
• Sheep Dressing – Our sheep has been shorn and is feeling the chill! Get creative designing some stylish spring sheep clothing.

You can enjoy all these free spring learning activities in our Free Spring Craft Activity Pack.

Even More Spring Learning Activities…

Looking for even more spring activity ideas to keep curious minds buzzing this season? Busy Things has tons of spring-themed games and activities to keep children excited and engaged this spring. From exploring life cycles and gardening activities to flower symmetry challenges, insect challenges and creative writing prompts, there’s plenty to explore!

Start your free Busy Things trial today and unlock all the spring fun!

Ready to spring into action?

Spring is bursting with opportunities to spark curiosity, get hands-on with nature, and enjoy simple, joyful learning together. Whether you’re outdoors spotting signs of spring or crafting away inside, these ideas will help keep your child happily exploring and learning all season long!