Spring is a wonderful time of the year to embrace the renewal and fresh Start that it brings. It's also a fantastic opportunity to engage with infants and toddlers through interactive and fun crafts. Here are some great spring infant crafts that are both charming and educational.
1. Flower Petal and Mallet Craft
Description: This sensory experience encourages infants and toddlers to explore the vibrant colors of spring flowers with their sense of touch. Using child-friendly mallets and a few basic materials, children can transfer color markings to construction paper, promoting color recognition, fine motor skill development, nature discovery, and color exploration.
2. Rainbow Sky Sensory Bottles
Description: Create a colorful and interactive sensory experience with these bottles. Children can investigate the colors of the rainbow by adding colored rice, cotton balls, and ribbons to a water bottle, allowing for texture and color matching opportunities. This activity is also a great way to introduce concepts about the weather and rainbows to young children.
3. Nature Sensory Bag and Suncatcher
Description: This activity incorporates sensory experiences, textures, and colors. Sensory bags are made with hair gel and colorful items found in nature, such as flowers and leaves. Children can explore the different textures of the rice pieces compared to the cotton balls. When hung in the window, the sunlight shines through the petals, creating an eye-catching activity that encourages children to explore.
4. Frozen Flowers Sensory STEM Activity
Description: This activity combines flowers and sensory exploration. Using an ice cube tray, place flowers of different colors in each square, add water, and freeze overnight. The next day, you'll have ice cubes filled with flowers for children to explore. This activity can be done in a large bin so that children can explore together or individually.
5. Get Outside
Description: A simple way to enjoy the spring season is to step outside with blankets and enjoy a picnic or a nature walk. This activity encourages children to look at the bright colors of the flowers and the moving shadows as sunlight shines through the trees. Being outdoors, even for a few minutes, can help to increase peacefulness for everyone.
##Spring is a season full of wonder and new opportunities for learning and enjoyment. Whether through tactile and sensory experiences like the ones seen in the crafts described above, or by engaging in the great outdoors, there are endless ways to celebrate the season with the youngest learners. By incorporating these activities into your curriculum, you can foster a lifelong love of learning in your little ones.
Remember to always supervise and use safe practices when preparing and implementing these crafts with infants and toddlers, as their safety and comfort should always be your top priority.
