The air is feeling warmer...maybe....and you begin to witness signs of spring. Buds begin to pop their heads from under the soil, trees are beginning to show a tinge of green, the air smells a bit different, but you can't really decide on the fragrance and as a teacher, you want to open up your outdoor classroom and and feel that spring springing all around you and let the outdoor learning begin.
If you want to use those beautiful spring days for learning, here are a few indoor and outdoor ideas to add a little spring to your day!
🌷 Bring your students outside:
Grab those clipboards and take a walk outside to observe signs of spring!
Make sure you grab these sheets so your kiddos can observe spring using their senses. This Free Spring Fun Free Activities can be downloaded here:
Before you go outside have your students brainstorm and predict what they might, see, hear, smell and feel (advising not to touch nature that might not work for touching!)
Then go outside and have them write alone or with a partner their observations through their senses. At some point, stop and have everyone be silent for a minute or two( if that is possible😃) and listen for sounds they hear. It is amazing what can be heard!
Kids love to share what they discovered so, once you come inside, set up sharing partners and small groups. Have them share their ideas from their sensory walk and then call all groups back together and share out what they discovered, check their predictions, have them share out what they liked or didn't like, their feelings about spring and anything else that might come up! Oh and don't forget to save those clipboards for use with later ideas...actually I have one listed below!
🌷 Read outside:
Bring you class outside to read at the end of the day or anytime. Have your students pick books at some point during the day and either read alone or read with a partner.
Find a cozy spot outside your building, provide some beach towels or blankets and read for 15-30 minutes. if you want you can assign a focus for their reading.
Some focus examples might be...today we are focusing on ___________ be prepared to share out after reading time is completed:
- Is your book fiction or nonfiction...how do you know?
- Is there a problem? If so what was the problem and how was it solved.
- Describe how this story made you feel. Why did you feel that way.
- Did you like this book? Why or why not? Explain your thinking.
- What was something you learned from this book, chapter, story.
- As you were reading, did you make a prediction? If so share about the prediction you made. Were you correct with this prediction?
- Share about your favorite part of the story. Why was this your favorite part.
- Read a few sentences from your story with expression...like you are on TV.
- What questions would you like to ask the author?
- Name an event or something from the book that surprised you.
- Name an event or something from the book that was interesting.
- Quickly turn to a partner and state one sentence that happened in the beginning, middle or end. Can you share some thing from each part...BME?
- Which character did you like best and why? or Tell us about a fact you learned that you liked.
🌷 Write some Spring Poems:
There are a few ways to motivate your students to write some spring poems. First of all you need to know that I LOVE writing and poems are my fave! I am jumping up and down just thinking about sharing my ideas!
- Okay...use the sensory walk to motivate your students to think about and describe spring or if you cannot go outside to complete the walk and you still want to write, choose a book about spring to read to your class. If you go with the book idea, have your kids lay down on the rug or sit at their seats with their eyes closed in order to visualize the story...so...make sure you choose a book that describes spring. As they visualize, you can stop reading every so often...I call this "A 3 Minute Pause" so they can share out what they saw or visualized. using the same sheet used for the Sensory Walk, have them fill in some of the sheet and then continue on in this fashion. Here are some ideas for Books about Spring!
- Now that everyone is full of spring excitement, you can begin to collect words or phrases that describe spring (adjectives). One way to do this activity is to simply brainstorm adjectives and write them on your board and keep them up for use during poetry writing.
- BUUTTTTT...this is the way I would do it: Divide your class into small groups. Assign a scriber to write down the groups' ideas on large chart paper or poster board. Then, in cooperative groups or partners, if that works better for your students, have them brainstorm their adjectives to describe spring and write them on the board. After a certain time frame, have the groups share out their ideas.
- Now everyone is ready to write some poems...I can hear you right now..."just write a poem?"
You can snatch up this freebie here.
If you are looking for something a little easier, then simply grab these ready to print and use spring poetry frames.
If you are looking for something a little easier, then simply grab these ready to print and use spring poetry frames.
🌷 Snap some Pictures:
I love using photos to encourage kid's writing and I especially enjoy when I take seasonal pictures or snap photos during field trips or our day and give partnerships pictures and sticky notes and ask them to write captions.
It is the best...to see what they write!So...why not take a walk outside with your kiddos and ask them to help you find some signs of spring so you can snap a few pictures to capture the season.
After you develop the photos or print them out, divide your class into groups or partnerships and give a photo to each group. Don't forget a sticky note so they can write captions!
Take the notes and the photos, type the captions that belong to each photo, compile into a book and voila....you have created an "All about Spring" class book! I bet it will be a hit in your classroom...mine always were!
🌷 Snatch up some Great Spring Themed Ideas:
Of course I am going to start with some of my own resources...because...well...this is...you know...my post! 😁 No worries...I will also show you where to find lots of other spring resources!
So...drumroll please:
You might want to try out these Spring Themed Literacy Stations.
What's Included:
♥ Original Reader’s Theater Poem
♥ Original Reading Response Sheets/Frames
♥ Pick a Book from the Book Bouquet frame
♥ Writing Prompts for Beginning Spring Ideas
♥ Opinion Writing Frames for Spring Ideas
♥ Spring Words ABC Order
♥ Word Wall Spring Flower Frame to Write sight Words or Spelling Words
♥ Word Work Spring making Words
♥ Noun, Verb, adjective Sort using Spring Words.
♥ Spring Syllable Sort 1,2,3 and 4 syllable Spring words
Ideas for Use:
- Morning Meeting Game
- Reinforcing Verbs
- Brain Breaks
- Spring Party Games
- Indoor Recess and MORE!
Need to add a little Fluency to your day? These Spring themed Sight Word Fluency Strips using Fry's First 100 Words Including End Marks for Inflection will definitely fit the bill!
Some Ideas for Use:
✿These phrases can be laminated, cut and put on a ring to have partners practice during free time.
✿ Send home for Homework practice or make one for everyone and have a Fluency Free Time where students practice and then pick a few phrases to “perform” for the class like they are on television.
I even made a 12x18 “TV” out of cardboard to hold up in front of their faces as they read. You can also use a puppet theater for the performance.
✿ However you choose to use these phrases, your students fly into fluency and the more they practice, the more fluent they will be!
✿These phrases can be laminated, cut and put on a ring to have partners practice during free time.
✿ Send home for Homework practice or make one for everyone and have a Fluency Free Time where students practice and then pick a few phrases to “perform” for the class like they are on television.
I even made a 12x18 “TV” out of cardboard to hold up in front of their faces as they read. You can also use a puppet theater for the performance.
✿ However you choose to use these phrases, your students fly into fluency and the more they practice, the more fluent they will be!
Looking for some other Spring Ideas? Just click through to my collaborative Pinterest Boards and have a bit of fun checking out all the resources right here!
So as soon as the weather changes and you can feel that Spring has Sprung, grab those clipboards and scoot outside to enjoy learning! ENJOY! Comments are welcome. please add your ideas in the comments!
So as soon as the weather changes and you can feel that Spring has Sprung, grab those clipboards and scoot outside to enjoy learning! ENJOY! Comments are welcome. please add your ideas in the comments!
