Hands-On Spring Activities for Kindergarten
Spring fever anyone? It's going around! Kids {and sometimes teachers!} get so antsy this time of year. On most days the weather is so beautiful outside, who wants to be indoors?! And while it's great to try to get students outside as often as possible, there is still learning to be done!
So when you can't be outside, it's nice to bring some of the outside into the classroom with spring themes. Activities that are filled with flowers, frogs, and butterflies help to feel like you're outside in nature, even while still trying to tackle a few more Kindergarten concepts before first grade.
If this sounds like you and you're looking for some fun hands-on spring activities for Kindergarten to help you bring the outdoors in, I thought I would share some ideas from my new Spring Literacy and Math Tubs along with a fun freebie.
This article, along with many other articles on The Printable Princess, contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through the links I earn a small commission. Clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps this website to keep great articles and freebies coming your way.
? I get a lot of questions about mini-erasers, so I'll leave some links in case you're wondering where to grab some. Insect-themed mini-erasers and spring-themed mini-erasers can be found on Amazon. ?
Spring Literacy and Math Tubs
This Spring Activities for Kindergarten pack includes 21 literacy and math activities with an adorable spring theme. The skills included in this resource are ones that your Kindergarteners are probably working on during the months of March, April, and May. It is packed full of games and interactive, hands-on activities to keep students engaged and learning all season long.
The activities are easy to prep – most of them are just print-and-go. They use basic classroom supplies such as plastic cubes, mini erasers, play dough, dot cubes, and spinners. Most activities include more than one version allowing you to differentiate for your students.
Each of these Spring Activities for Kindergarten includes teacher-friendly directions as well as an “I Can” visual directions page to promote independence. They do not include recording sheets which makes them ideal for morning tubs and early finisher activities. But you can certainly use them for math and literacy centers too.
Solve and Cover:
Students solve to determine the number that is missing on the card. They will find the missing number on the ”Solve and Cover” mat and cover the number.
Roll and Race:
Students roll the dot cube and count to determine the number they rolled. They cover that make spaces on their game mat. The first player to cover all of the numbers wins. In order for a player to win, they must roll the exact number needed – if they have one space left, they must roll a one to win.
Number games to 20, 30, 50, and 100 are included.
Show the Tens and Ones:
Students identify the number on the mat. They use manipulatives to show the tens and ones in the corresponding columns. Numbers 1 – 30 are included.
Color-Code Cover:
Students solve each addition or subtraction sentence to determine the answer. Using the color code on the right of the mat, they will cover the space to show their answer. There are seven different game mats included.
Flip and Find:
Students flip a card and identify the number. They find and cover the corresponding number on the hundreds chart. Students continue playing until all of the numbers have been covered.
3D Shape Bump:
Students play with a partner. Players take turns spinning the spinner and covering a picture match with a plastic cube. If a player rolls the same word they can “BUMP” the other player off the space. If the player rolls the same word again, without being bumped off, they can add a second cube to “lock” the space. Players cannot bump cubes off if they are locked.
The first player to use all of their cubes is the winner. There are two different 3D shape games included.
Editable Sight Word Practice:
Students select a sight word card and place it on the mat. They will build the word using a dry-erase marker or magnetic letters. This activity is editable so you can add your own sight words.
Frog-tastic Cover Up:
Students say the name of the picture to identify the beginning digraph or beginning blend. Using the color code on the right of the mat, they will cover the space to show their answer. There are six activity mats included.
Build the Word:
Students select a picture card and place it on the mat. They say the picture name to determine the beginning blend sound. They use mini erasers or other small manipulatives to form the blend on the mat.
A set of digraph cards are also included. There's also a numbers version in the spring math activities.
Roll and Rhyme:
Students roll the dot cube and read the corresponding CVC or CVCe word. They find a space that rhymes and cover it. They continue to roll and cover until all of the words have been covered. Separate CVC and CVCe activities are included, for a total of four game mats. The bee mini erasers can be found on Amazon.
For a closer look at some of the activities included in the April Morning Tubs, check out this video:
Spring Activities: Snail Spin & Roll Digraphs and Blends
Around this time of year, Kindergarteners are working hard to learn blends and digraphs. So this is a fun little activity to help strengthen those developing skills. The “snail theme” makes this perfect for spring and summer. Plus it's hands-on and engaging, just like the activities in the Spring Literacy and Math Tubs.
To prepare this activity simply print and laminate the activity mats. You can punch a hole in these and put them on a metal ring for easy storage.
Students will each need mini erasers or plastic cubes for this activity. They will also need a pre-made spinner or a paperclip and pencil to make a spinner.
Students spin the spinner and identify the digraph or beginning blend. They will use mini erasers or cubes to cover a picture that corresponds with the blend or digraph they spun. They will continue to play until all of the spaces on the mat have been covered.
You can download your copy of the Snail Spin and Roll Blends and Digraphs by clicking here. In addition, if you’re looking for more spring activities and freebies for Kindergarten click here.
