Spring Activities for Kids: 15 Fun Ideas for Preschoolers & Early Years

Spring is the perfect season for fresh air, creativity and hands-on learning. From nature walks to sensory play, spring activities for children help little ones explore the world as it changes around them.

At My Ohana, we love finding creative ways to bring the natural world into children’s everyday experiences - and spring is bursting with inspiration!

Whether you’re a parent, carer or early years educator, planning a few seasonal activities can make all the difference to how children connect with the world around them. From sensory play to nature crafts, there are so many wonderful spring activities for preschoolers that encourage learning through play.

In this post, we’re sharing some of our favourite spring activity ideas - all designed to support creativity, curiosity, and development in a fun, playful way.

15 Easy Spring Activities for Preschoolers

These spring activities for early years are simple, engaging and easy to set up at home or in nursery settings. Many can be adapted depending on children’s ages and interests - and all of them are perfect for sparking imagination this spring.

1. Grow Your Own Cress Heads

All you need is a clean eggshell, cotton wool, cress seeds and a little water. Draw a face on the eggshell, pop in the seeds, and watch the hair grow! A lovely introduction to nature and lifecycles and one of our favourite STEM activities for young children.

2. Nature Scavenger Hunt

Take children on a mini adventure to look for signs of spring: blossom, birds, buds, or bugs. This is a great activity to build language and observation skills, and ties beautifully into our holistic approach to child development.

3. Spring Colour Collage

Collect leaves, petals, feathers and more, and help children group them by colour to make a vibrant collage. A lovely mix of sensory and art-based play.

4. Easter Egg Matching Game

Decorate pairs of cardboard eggs with different patterns and colours, then turn them over for a simple spring-themed memory game.

5. Make a Mini Bug Hotel

Using twigs, pine cones and leaves, help children create a little shelter for garden insects. It’s a great way to talk about habitats and introduce early science concepts.

6. Spring Playdough Creations

Add natural scents like lavender or lemon to homemade playdough, then use flower cutters or nature tools to create seasonal shapes. Great for fine motor skills!

7. DIY Bird Feeders

Thread cereal hoops onto string or use a pine cone rolled in peanut butter and birdseed. A brilliant way to support local wildlife while exploring cause and effect.

8. Blossom Tree Painting

Use pom-poms or cotton buds to paint cherry blossom trees. This calming craft encourages creativity and can be extended into a story or role play.

9. Sing Spring Songs and Rhymes

Music is a huge part of learning at My Ohana. Singing seasonal songs like "Spring Chicken" or "Little Peter Rabbit" supports rhythm, memory and communication.

10. Sensory Spring Tuff Tray

Fill a tray with dried pasta, flower petals, toy insects and scoops for hands-on, imaginative play. You could even add small-world characters for an extended role play activity.

11. Leaf and Flower Printing

Use spring leaves and petals with paint to create bold, nature-inspired prints. It’s a fun way to combine nature walks with art and texture exploration.

12. Mini Garden in a Jar

Layer stones, soil, moss and a small plant inside a clear jar. Children love seeing the layers build up - and it’s a lovely keepsake of their planting efforts.

13. Spring Story Time Outdoors

Take your favourite spring-themed picture books outside for story time under the sky. Stories like "We’re Going on a Bear Hunt" bring a new magic when shared in the open air.

14. Craft a Butterfly Life Cycle

Use paper plates, pasta and cotton wool to help children explore the butterfly life cycle - from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. A hands-on way to explore natural changes.

15. Create Spring Crowns

Make flower or leaf crowns with paper, glue and garden finds. A great mix of craft, imagination and dressing up that ties into expressive arts and play.

Who These Spring Activities Are For

These spring activities are designed to be flexible, inclusive and easy to enjoy in a range of settings. They’re perfect for:

• Preschoolers aged 2–5, supporting learning through hands-on, playful experiences
• Nursery and early years settings, looking for simple seasonal activity ideas
• Parents seeking fun spring activities for kids at home, using everyday materials
• Childminders and carers, planning engaging spring-themed play that supports development

Whether you’re learning at home or in an early years environment, these spring activity ideas are easy to adapt and designed to grow with children as they explore the season together.

Free Spring Nature Scavenger Hunt for Preschoolers [PDF Download]

Exploring the great outdoors is one of the most joyful and enriching ways for young children to learn. That’s why we’ve created a free nature scavenger hunt – a fun, engaging activity designed especially for preschoolers and early years children.

One of our most popular spring activities for kids, this simple sheet encourages little ones to use all their senses to connect with the natural world around them. From listening for buzzing bees to feeling different textures like bumpy leaves or smooth stones, it’s a wonderful way to develop observation skills, vocabulary, and a love for the outdoors.

Download your free printable PDF below and take it on your next adventure to the park, woodland, beach, or even your own back garden!

Spring Activities That Support Learning and Wellbeing

Every one of these spring crafts for pre-schoolers supports a wide range of developmental areas - from motor skills to emotional literacy. When we give children the space and freedom to play, explore and create, we’re not just entertaining them, we’re helping them grow.

At My Ohana, we see the value in integrating seasonal themes into our daily nursery routines. These little seasonal moments help children build an understanding of the world, develop self-confidence, and feel a deeper connection to nature.