Spring is almost here! We would like to share some Spring Activities that you can participate in as a family. Most of these activities will be for Preschool through Kindergarten, but find what works best for your and your family. Below you will find both outdoor and indoor activities as we all know the season of Spring comes with a little rain!

The Montessori method of education focuses on the connection between child development and nature, as spending time outdoors and being immersed in nature promotes the ongoing development of social-emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. The sensorial aspect of nature is rich in sounds, sights, feels, smells, and tastes – there is always something new to explore and discover. 

Becoming curious about and comfortable with nature at an early age helps children develop a more environmental-friendly outlook and an appreciation for the natural world that they maintain throughout their lifetime. Explore some different activities you can do as a family!

Outdoor activities:

1. 1. 1. Play with worms! Dig in the dirt (a sensorial activity in and of itself), find those wonderful slimy worms, and gently hold them in your hands. Holding a worm helps develop the sense of touch, sight, and smell. 
      2. Go on a nature walk and collect items with different textures and smells: onion grass, feathers, grass, bark, etc. Check out our printable scavenger hunt!
      3. Make an outside ‘kitchen’ in your backyard: set aside an area with a low table or tree stumps to use as tables. Place metal or plastic bowls and spoons or ladles on hand and let your little chefs prepare ‘soup’ from items of nature, adding water, dirt, any anything else your child wishes to add from your yard, such as grass, leaves, seeds, buds, etc. Making mud pies and mud cakes are great sensorial activities: the feel of the mud’s texture and temperature, the smell of the earth, and the way the items look when wet vs their appearance when dry all add to the sensorial experience.
      4. Walk barefoot in the grass..but watch for bees or sharp objects. Walking in uneven textures of sand, mud or water are also wonderful ways to develop better balance and body awareness as you must place each step carefully. 
      5. Go outside and play in the rain. Listen to the rain falling on different objects, feel the wet on your skin and clothing, jump in puddles, and watch for the emergence of worms…there is a specific smell to rain in the spring too which is an exciting moment for children to experience! 
      6. Go birdwatching from your porch or out in the woods: the sights and sounds of active birds this time of year are all around.
      7. Climb rocks or walk along logs: not only is the sense of touch a part of the activity, but climbing rocks helps develop other senses such as the vestibular (relating to the inner ear and one’s sense of balance), and proprioception (the awareness of the position and movement of the body).
      8. “Paint” with nature: use sticks, twigs with pine needles, leaves, buttercups, mud, roll a pinecone in the paint,…etc..so many senses involved in creating these masterpieces!
      9. Roll downhill and feel the grass and the ground on your body and sense the weather and air temperature on your skin.
      10. Make a list of sounds you might hear outside; i.e., birds, the wind, bees, water flowing, etc then go on a walk and record all you heard on your journey.  How many were you able to predict? 
      11. Let your child help you wash your car: the feel and smell of the soap and sponge and the sound of splashing are all very fun sensorial experiences. The gross motor and fine motor skills used are also great for physical development. 

Indoor activities:

1. 1. 1. Make bathtub paint out of cornstarch, baby shampoo, and food coloring for an artistic and creative water experience.
      2. Put on some music and dance: hear the music, feel the vibrations from the volume, and if you happen to have a disco ball, you’ll find yourself immersed in various visual and audio experiences, as well as physical exertion – it all adds up to a ton of fun!
      3. Make your own personalized slime. There are many recipes that you can find online, here is an example.
      4. Make an indoor water table: 1) add sand and shells to make it into an indoor beach table, 2) use ladles and spoons to stir up some fun, 3) add fish figures or other marine animals, stir up the water to make them spin, and catch as many as you can with your hands
      5. Make a mystery bag: put several well known objects in a bag you cannot see through, such as a small rubber ball, a coin, a feather, etc. Take a picture of each object before placing it inside the bag, then have your child pick a picture and attempt to find the object that matches the picture using only the sense of touch.
      6. Bake alongside your child: the smells, sights, and taste of your efforts are all wonderful and delicious sensorial experiences!
      7. Make a sensory wall or board: add feathers, pieces of different fabric such as velvet, satin, and seersucker, pieces of sandpaper with varying grades of grit, crinkled tin foil, smooth glass or pebbles, uncooked pasta, etc for an array of texture exploration. 
      8. Play a taste-testing game: have your child wear a blindfold and give them tastes of various foods: chocolate (sweet), a pretzel (salty), an orange peel (bitter), a lemon, and other tasty treats. Have your child try to guess what it is they are tasting (remember, they are blindfolded) based on what they taste, smell, and feel. 
      9. Listen to a recording of an orchestra and identify the different instrument sounds. What does the beat, pitch, and volume of the music make you feel? 

Want to learn more about Montessori Parenting? Check out our quarterly Montessori Monday Virtual Seminars! You can also see recording of past sessions here.

Interested sending your child to a Monstessori School? Check out out 10 locations across Maryland.