The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and there is a sense of newness; this is a beautiful time of year for children of all ages. This is the season teachers teach about colors, seasons, flowers, planting, and much more. Here are three spring activities that teachers, childcare workers, and daycare providers can carry out with infants and toddlers to add fun and educational value to the season.
Circle Time Story:
The first question you might be asking is, "What is circle time?" Circle time is when the teacher or daycare provider leads the class in songs, stories, rhymes, and role-plays. The next question you're probably having in mind is, "How can I connect this with this time of year?" Circle time stories are usually about a particular topic, such as seasons, animals, or colors. Children need to be exposed to these topics (seasons, colors, animals, etc.) to develop an understanding of the world around them. There's no better time to learn about these concepts than the actual season. So, break out those books and get ready for a fun time with your learners. To set the ball rolling, check out some of the best books for this time of year:
★ Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
★ The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
★ Brown Bear, What Can You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
★ We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
These are just a few examples, but we'll use "Planting a Rainbow" as our example in this article. The story follows a young child and her mom planting a garden of flowers. First, they order some seeds & wait patiently for the winter. Then, they anticipate the soil to warm up & plant the seeds. Finally, after a little while, they see the first sprouts appear. With some care and attention, their garden soon blooms with a beautiful array of colors. This is a perfect activity for your toddlers because it teaches them about the seasons and planting and taking care of plants & flowers. Eventually, they have a beautiful rainbow of flowers.
To set the ball rolling, Ehlert recommends starting the circle time by asking your child what they know about rainbows, colors, flowers, e.t.c. For example, you can say something like, "I'm going to read a story about a little girl who plants her rainbow. Does anyone know what a rainbow is?" or ''What are some of the colors you see in a rainbow?" There's no right or wrong answer; encourage them to recall what they've learned before.
Next, you can begin reading the story. As you're reading, point out the different colors in the illustrations and talk about what's happening on each page. For example, On this page, we see a yellow flower. The sun is shining, and the raindrops are falling." or "Look, the blue flowers are blooming." After finishing the narration, ask the learners if they liked it and their favorite part. If they're still interested, you can even reread it. And that's it. By reading a simple story together, you've managed to teach your learners about colors, rainbows, and flowers while also strengthening their listening skills.
Craft: Cotton Ball Rainbow Art
Nothing says springtime like rainbows, and this craft is the perfect way to show your child how colors can come together to create something beautiful. For this craft, you will need:
● Four different color paints
● White construction paper
● Cotton Ball
Place the white construction paper in front of every child. Next, please give them the cotton balls & let them arrange them into a rainbow shape (arc shape). Once they're done arranging the cotton balls in an arc shape, it's time to start pouring paints on the cotton balls. Take the liquid paint & start dripping it over the rainbow-shaped cotton balls. Be sure to use all four colors.
Once all the colors have been used, set the paper aside to let it dry. And that's it. Your learners will have a beautiful piece of art that and the art can display. And not only is this craft fun, but it's also educational. Your learners will learn about colors and how they can be combined to create something beautiful by doing this craft.
Song: Rainbow Song
Who doesn't love singing songs? Songs are a great way to spend time with your child and teach them something new. And this Rainbow Song is the perfect song for springtime. It teaches children about colors, but it's also super catchy and fun to sing along. We'll use the" I Can Sing A Rainbow" song in this article. You'll also need some illustrations/pictures to show your learners as you're singing the song.
Start by singing the first verse together. As you're singing, point out the different colors in the illustrations. For example, when saying "Red & yellow," you can point to the sun. When saying " blue & green," you can point to the sky & trees. After you finish the first verse, ask them if they can sing it with you. Please encourage them to use the illustrations as a guide. If they're having trouble, that's okay. Keep singing it together until they get it after you finish the first verse if they want to try singing it themselves. Suppose they're able to do so, great. If not, that's perfectly fine too. Just keep singing it together until they're ready to try it on their own.
Lastly, If your learners can sing the first verse by themselves, move on to the second verse. Again, use the illustrations as a guide when pointing out the different colors. After you finish singing the second verse, ask them if they want to try it independently.
So there you have it. - three simple and fun activities that teachers, childcare workers, and daycare providers can carry out with infants and toddlers to add fun and educational value to the season. By doing these activities, you will be providing a fun and enriching experience for the children, but you'll also be teaching them essential life skills. So go ahead and try out these activities with the children in your care. They're sure to love them. And who knows, you might even have some fun yourself.
Reference:
Lois Ehlert.(n,a) . Planting Rainbow.Retrieved from; http://www.stmp.camden.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Planting-a-Rainbow-by-Lois-Ehlert.pdf
About The Author:
Pheolia Smith, Director of Operations
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