The spring is a great time to try new activities with your child! Whether you’re looking for something to do on one of the warm sunny days or on one of the days when April showers will bring May flowers… there are fun options!
The teachers at Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County (CLC) are sharing projects they love doing with students in the classroom, that can also be done at home. We are also sharing projects from CLC’s Play to Learn Book. Find a list of materials and steps for each, below.
Fish in the River snack
Materials:
- celery sticks
- cream cheese
- goldfish crackers
Directions:
- Spread cream cheese on the celery stick!
- Place goldfish crackers on top!
- ENJOY!
Watching Beans Sprout
Materials:
- 3 beans (usually kidney or lima beans since they grow fast)
- a damp paper towel
- zip lock bag.
Directions:
- Place the damp towel and 3 beans (3 beans usually guarantees that one bean will germinate) inside the zip lock bag.
- Tape the bag to a window that gets some sun with the beans facing the inside so you can watch them grow.
- Children can document the changes they see.
- After a while the towel will start to get moldy, at this time you can transfer the seeds to soil if you want to continue growing them.
- After your beans are grown you can eat them!
Rain Cloud Experiment
- a clear cup
- water
- shaving cream
- blue food coloring mixed with water
- a water dropper.
- Fill a clear cup (such as a mason jar) 3/4 of the way with plain water.
- Fill the rest of the space with shaving cream (the shaving cream becomes a cloud).
- Before dropping the water into the cloud make your predictions about what will happen and why you think that will happen.
- Use a water dropper to drop water into the cloud.
- Talk to your child about what is happening as more water is dropped onto the cloud. Eventually it becomes too heavy for the cloud to hold and it rains!
Flower Arranging
Flower arranging is a fun activity that allows children to develop skills using their hands!
Materials:
- Ball of floral foam cut in half and sized to fit inside a strainer
- Plastic strainer or colander with large holes
- Real or fake flowers
Directions:
- Put the flat side of the foam ball on a table.
- Turn the strainer over so it covers the foam.
- Poke a flower’s stem into one of the strainer’s holes. Push hard so the stem goes into the foam. The foam will hold the flower in place.
- Continue adding flowers until you’re happy with the arrangement. Flowers can be moved from one hole to another to change the look!
- If you used fresh flowers, place the foam in a bowl of water to keep the fresh flowers alive.
- Ask your child about why they chose the flowers they did. What do they like about each flower’s shape and color?
Decorate Flower Pots
Terra cotta flower pots are fun to decorate in the spring! They also make great gifts!
Materials:
- Tera cotta flower pot(s)
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Small sponge
- Glue
- Small decorative items like sequins, beads, buttons, yarn, stickers, sticks, stones, etc. (Watch young children carefully with small pieces!)
- Mod Podge or a similar sealing coat if you’d like
Directions:
- Paint the flower pot as desired with the paintbrush, small sponge or even your fingers! Children may need help covering the entire outside, inside, bottom and rim of the flower pot with paint.
- Place the pot in a safe place to dry and clean the brushes and sponges.
- When the paint is dry, glue any decorative pieces to the pot. Let your child use their imagination!
- If you’d like, coat the finished pot with Mod Podge or a similar sealer. A clear coat will make the colors pop and help the artwork last longer.
- Use your pot for anything from flowers to storing toys, etc.
For more fun activities like these, order CLC’s Play to Learn Book.
Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County (CLC) is committed to providing early childhood education for all families, with direct services and programs focused in health, nutrition & family support for children aged 6 weeks – 5 years of age. Find more information about enrollment, here!