Warmer weather here, it’s time to get outside and enjoy it! Take this opportunity to take the children outside and enjoy all that nature and the spring season has to offer. Playing outdoors offers a rich language opportunity for the children. So, get outside, play and enjoy springtime!
Infants
- Spread a blanket or mat on the ground and enjoy some outdoor time with one baby or a small group of babies.
- Place different types of materials on the ground for them to feel, or crawl on.
- Point out the birds, butterflies, trees, and grass and talk about them to the babies
- Place wind chimes on tree branches to listen to. Tie bright colored ribbons to the fence that will flutter in the air for the babies to look at.
Toddlers
- Explore the colors, textures and smells of trees while outside!
- Let the child touch the bark. Describe what it feels like, rough, smooth.
- Look for bugs on the tree with a large magnifying glass.
- Trace the shapes of the leaves with their fingers. (Source: Encyclopedia of Infant and Toddler Activities)
Preschoolers & School Agers
- Create a chart depicting three different types of birdseed with the heading, “Which will the birds like best?”
- Predict which type of feed the birds will like best. (cracked corn, sunflower or mixed)
- As a child makes a prediction place their name in the correct column to make a graph
- Place three pans of birdseed outside. (sunflower, cracked corn, mixed)
- Check each of the pans daily to see which empties first. (squirrels can throw off your research!)
- Go back and check your predictions!
