Lesson Plan For Learning About Spring

Written By Penny Warner.

Spring is right around the corner. And with it come fragrant flowers, buzzing bees, and lots of opportunity to make spring crafts that tie into your lesson plans. Here are some ideas for turning your classroom into a spring garden, while helping your students learn about birds, bugs, butterflies and everything spring!

Smell The Flowers
Fill the room with colorful blooms! Make large tissue paper flowers in a variety of shades and wrap them with green floral tape. Stick ladybugs on some of the petals. Then "plant" them in personalized flowerpots made from craft kits. Spray the flowers with a light perfume to make them fragrant (just make sure the kids don't have any allergies)!

Go Buggy!
Kids love bugs! Since spring brings out the bugs, make insect study a part of your classroom curriculum. Have the kids make Bug Catcher Boxes and collect bugs from around the schoolyard, then release them back into nature. Or make your own bugs from bug craft kits, chenille stems or other craft items and place them in the bug catchers. Give the new species of insect a funny version of each student's name, such as "Mikehopper," "Susypillar," and "MrsArachnidson."

Fly Away Aviary
It wouldn't be spring without birds. Build your own aviary in the classroom, then buy or make your own craft birds to study. Bird gliders are quick and easy to make and the kids will enjoy flying them around the room. When finished flying, hang them from the ceiling with string so it looks like the birds are in flight. Create some birdcages or birdhouses and hang them in the windows or set them on the countertops to enjoy. Add a few butterflies to the décor, hanging them from the ceiling, resting on desks or stuck on the birdhouses.

Check the Weather
Springtime means sunshine, so create a weather chart and let the kids decorate their own thermometers for daily temperature readings. Stock up on suncatcher kits for the students to make and then hang them by the windows. Talk about safety under the sun and then have the kids decorate their own hats, visors or sunglasses to protect them from the rays. If the wind kicks up, make wind chimes and go fly kites, or make foam airplanes  and fly them in the wind.