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Submit your spring times ideas!!
SONGS, POEMS AND FINGERPLAYS
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Little Seeds We Sow in Spring
Little seeds we sow in spring
growing while the robins sing,
give us carrots, peas and beans,
tomatoes, pumpkins, squash and greens.
And we pick them,
one and all,
through the summer,
through the fall.
Winter comes, then spring, and then
little seeds we sow again.
~Else Holmelund Minarik~
- Spring Wind
The west wind dances down the lane
and sets the robins winging;
It has a message sweet and plain,
for some folks hear it singing:
O hurry, gather daffodils! They're scattered over all the hills
as thick as anything!
The little buds unfold again, in buff and white and gold again--
It's Spring, Spring, Spring!
The west wind races up the road
and sets the green grass sprouting;
It wakes the turtle and the toad,
and some folks hear it shouting:
O hurry, fetch your bat and ball, put on your oldest shoes of all,
and cap and everything.
It's turning fine and hot again, the boys are in the lot again--
It's Spring, Spring, Spring!
~Nancy Byrd Turner~
- The Year's at the Spring
The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven--
All's right with the world!
~Robert Browning~
- A Kite
I often sit and wish that I
Could be a kite up in the sky,
And ride upon the breeze and go
Whichever way I chanced to blow.
-
Who Has Seen the Wind?
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you;
But when the leaves hang trembling
The wind is passing thro',
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I;
But when the trees bow down their heads
The wind is passing by.
~Christina G. Rossetti~
- Clouds
White sheep, white sheep,
On a blue hill,
When the wind stops
You all stand still
When the wind blows
You walk away slow,
White sheep, white sheep,
Where do you go?
~Christina G. Rossetti~
- Cheers
Blow the whistle!
Clear the track!
Spring at last
Is coming back.
Robins chirping
Tell anew
Days will be sunny,
Skies will be blue.
- My Dad's Garden
My daddy is our gardener,
He digs with spade and hoe.
He rakes the soil and plants the seed,
And makes the rows just so.
But after he has done these deeds,
Then I have to pull the weeds!
- The Caterpillar
A caterpillar crawled to the top of a tree,
(index finger of left hand moves up right arm)
"I think I'll take a nap", said he.
So under a leaf, he began to creep
(Wrap right hand over left fist)
To spin his chrysalis and he fell asleep.
All winter long he slept in his chrysalis bed,
(Keep right hand over left fist)
Till spring came along one day, and said,
"Wake up, wake up little sleepy head."
(Shake left fist with right hand)
"Wake up, it's time to get out of bed!"
So, he opened his eyes that sun shiny day
(Shake fingers and look into hand)
Lo--he was a butterfly and flew away!
(Move hand into flying motion)
- Funny Little Caterpillar
Funny little caterpillar crawling on the ground.
(Crawl index finger up arm)
Spin yourself a blanket and then go fast asleep.
(Twirl finger around and around and then tuck finger into hand)
Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar wakes up by and by.
Now you have two pretty wings. You're a butterfly!
(Move hand into flying motion)
- Raindrops
Rain is falling down,
Rain is falling down.
(raise arm, flutter fingers to ground, tapping floor)
Pitter-patter
Pitter-patter
Rain is falling down.
- Serenade to Spring
Today I listened while the birds did sing Their annual, lovely Serenade to Spring.
The Lark, the Robin, the Wren, the Dove...
All sang in praise to the season they so truly love.
They chattered and twittered throughout the day, Comparing Winter havens, so far away.
They sang of balmy nights and rainy days, How soon the buds would sprout in the Sun’s warm rays.
In the upper woodlands the snow would melt and flow; And how soon the rich, green grass would grow.
Then the Mountain Goat, the Deer, the Elk and Bear Would make their happy summer playground there.
I heard a Bluebird say: “If man could only learn, To live in peace like us. We do not kill or burn!
There is room for all, if we let Nature rule”.
But a Blackbird chirped: “Man has always been a fool.
He has lived for centuries upon this Earth, Yet he has pillaged and plundered since his day of birth.
What has he gained with his endless wars?
Only grief and pain and so many scars.
Still today he burns and kills in many lands, For reasons that not one of us understands.
I say let him fight, then he will soon be gone, And Mother Nature will, once again, have won.”
Then a little gray Sparrow in his high pitched voice,
Said: “I think man can change, because he has a choice.
He is free to go and to do as his heart desires; He can live in peace and put out the fires.
Perhaps if he hears our song he will do things right.
Let’s all sing to him daily, at dawn’s first light”.
Yes, the wisdom of the ages was made known to me By Feathered Friends who sat, perched, on my apple tree.
I listened and learned while those birds did sing Their annual, soulful Serenade to Spring
Frank J. Montoya
Poet Laureate, City of Fountain, Colorado
ARTS AND CRAFTS
- Make a Pinwheel
Click here for instructions.
- Loving Little Lambs
Each child will need a coffee filter, some cotton balls and black construction paper. Glue cotton balls onto the coffee filter.
Cut a head, legs and tail from the construction paper. Glue the parts into place, on the underside of the coffee filter. Draw
features with a white crayon or chalk. March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb!!
- Crossed Feet Butterflies
Each child needs a black 9x12 sheet of construction paper. Have the child stand on the paper with legs crossed and sides of shoes
touching. Trace around the shoes to create the butterfly. Cut out. Use paintbrushes to spatter tempera paint designs on the butterflies.
- Ink Blot Butterflies
Let each child fold a 12x18 sheet of construction paper in half and then cut a butterfly shape. Open the butterflies and squeeze several
blots of color on one side of the butterflies. Fold the butterflies again, press lightly, and open to reveal the beautiful patterns.
- Finger Birds
Paint a spring scene on a sheet of art paper or pastel construction paper, including a tree. Press a finger onto a stamp pad and then
onto the spring scene, making as many birds as you desire. Add details to the birds with a pencil, pen or fine-tip marker.
- Spring Rabbits
Cover a toilet paper tube with pink construction paper for the rabbit face. Cut out two ears out of pink construction paper and two smaller
ears from white construction paper. Glue small ears inside larger ears. Glue ears to back of tube. Add rabbit face features with
construction paper scraps.
- Egg Carton Caterpillars
Cut egg cartons in half, lengthwise. Each child
paints a carton half. When dry, children can make a face on the end of the carton
and insert pipe cleaners or straws for feelers.
- Beehive Pencil Holders
Let children glue four egg carton cups together (three on the bottom, one centered
on top), paint or cut an opening in the hive (the middle cup), and then paint bees on the
hive. As a last step, tell children to poke a hole in the top of the hive for a pencil.
- Ladybug- Gather a bucket of smooth rocks. Let each child pick a rock. Provide
red and black tempera and paintbrushes for the children to paint the rocks to look like
ladybugs.
- Windsock
Cover an empty cardboard ice cream container with pretty construction paper. Cut out top and bottom sections. Cut
long streamers from colorful tissue paper. Glue or staple to the end of the container. Decorate windsock with cut paper scraps or
paint. Make holes in top of container to string yarn through. Thread yarn through and tie the strands together at top. Hang your
windsock on a deck or porch.
- Butterfly Wings
- Caterpillars
- Butterfly Pretzels
- Birdseed Collages
- Eggshell Collages
- Bird in a Nest
- More Butterfly Art
- Clothespin Lamb
- Egg Art
RECIPES
- Butterfly Brownies
Use a brownie mix and make according to directions in a 9X12 pan. Cut into squares when cool. Then cut squares in half
diagonally and shape into butterflies as shown below. Add licorice to make antennae.
- Caterpillars
For each caterpillar use:
1 wooden kabob stick
melon balls
grapes
sliced bananas
raisins
Alternate fruit on the kabobs. Antennae may be added with raisins on toothpicks.
- Bird's Nest Salad
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup canned Chinese noodles
mayonaise
peas or grapes
Grate the carrot. Mix carrot with 1/2 cup canned Chinese noodles and mayonaise to moisten. Put a mound of this salad on a plate
and push in the middle with a spoon to form a nest. Peas or grapes can be added to the nest to represent bird's eggs. The nest could
be set on top of a lettuce leaf. Makes 2 salads.
- Ants on a Log
Slice cleaned celery into 3-inch pieces. Have children use plastic knives or craft
sticks to stuff the celery with peanut butter. Place raisin "ants" on top of celery before
eating.
- Bug Salad
Ingredients: Canned peache or pear halves, lettuce, raisins, chow mein noodles,
cream cheese, maraschino cherries cut in slices, carrot curls.
Place one peach or pear half on lettuce-lined plate. Attach raisin eyes, maraschino
cherry mouth, and chow mein noodle antennae with dabs of cream cheese. Place carrot
curl legs around the peach half body. (To make carrot curls, use a vegetable peeler to
peel wide strips from carrot. Roll up each strip and fasten with toothpick. Place curls
into a bowl of ice water for several minutes. Remove toothpicks before placing
them around the peach half.)
- Cake Nests
Use the spongecake cups from grocery store or use big cookie cutters to cut out rounds from a sheet cake. Spread
cake rounds with frosting (homemade or canned) and sprinkle with green-tinted coconut. Fill with jellybean eggs.
- Walking Salad
Wash lettuce and break off a piece about the size of your hand. Spread peanut butter inside the lettuce. Fold in half, with
peanut butter inside. Now Eat!
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Nesting Materials
Place string, cotton, yarn and other small items outside on the ground. Birds can collect these items to use in their nest building.
- Alfalfa Sprouts
Fill small paper cups with soil and plant a few alfalfa seeds in each. Place the cups in the sun and water. The kids will
enjoy watching them grow. The sprouts can be eaten for snack.
- Grass Growing
Place grass seeds on wet sponges. The grass will begin to sprout within days.
- Spring Word Search- Online
SPRING COLORING PAGES
- Butterfly I
- Butterfly II
- Butterfly III
- Caterpillar
- Flower I
- Flower II
- Flower III
SPRING BOOKS
- It's Spring by Linda Glaser
- My Spring Robin by Anne Rockwell
- Spring is Here by Lois Lenski
- Paperwhite by Nancy Wallace
- Growing Colors by Bruce McMillan
- Spring Song by Barbara Seuling
- That's What Happens When It's Spring by Elaine Good
- When Will It Be Spring? by Catherine Walters
- Mouse's First Spring by Lauren Thompson
- Countdown to Spring: Animal Counting Book by Janet Schulman
Back to Thematic Pages
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Free Printables for Spring and Summer
·Bluebird
·Cardinal
·Meadowlark
·Goldfinch
·Duck
·Oriole
·Wren
·Bear
·Elephant
·Hippo
·Lion
·Tiger
·Kangaroo
·Giraffe
·Seashells
·Sun I
·Sun II
·Beach
·Dogs
·Rabbits
·Birds
·Cats
·Cow
·Lamb
·Chicken
·Turkey
·Horse
·Duck
·Pig
·Goat
·Rooster
·Goose
·Chickens
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