BABY AND TODDLER GROUPS
Springtime surprises!
Alliance early years development manager Alison Heseltine reflects on the unique joys of spring, and how baby and toddler groups can make the most of the new season
Alison is an early years development manager, specialising in communication and language, wellbeing, and baby and toddler groups.
As we start to look forward to the first day of spring and say goodbye to the long days of winter, it’s an exciting time for children as they notice the signs of new life in the world around them. Spring is a time for green shoots, animals waking from hibernation, bird song, blossom, and babies such as lambs and chicks. With all these changes, spring is a great time to capture young children’s curiosity about nature and there are many ways that we can bring this excitement into our baby and toddler groups.
Our youngest children explore the world through their senses: taste, touch, smell, sound and sight, so we can introduce opportunities for multi-sensory play that have a springtime theme. These activities are about enjoying the
process of play, finding out information and having the confidence to explore. They allow children to develop their own ideas and build their understanding as they make links between the familiar and the new.
Getting muddy
Mud has a wonderful earthy scent after rainfall called petrichor, and so mud play offers rich sensory experiences including touch and smell. Mud can act as nature’s free play dough, perfect for mud pies with lots of mixing, patting and stirring – all of which support physical development. As mud pie chefs, children can also decide what ‘ingredients’ and tools they need, building problem-solving skills and encouraging cooperation.
Playing in the mud also means you can do some planting together. From April onwards, it’s a great time to sow sunflower seeds, ready for them to flower in August. Families can take their planted seeds home, and you can have regular check-ins to see how they are progressing. As their seeds grow, children can be learning about life cycles and how we can care for living things. Sunflowers are also particularly good at giving opportunities to try out comparative language – for example: ‘tall’, ‘taller’ and ‘tallest’.
TOP TIP: Remember to keep aprons, warm soapy water, and towels nearby so children can practise self-care and independence after their muddy adventures.
Nature’s treasures
At this time of year, nature provides an abundance of free resources for children and adults to explore together. Furry catkins, new leaves, blossom, dandelion clocks to blow, puddles to jump in and spiderwebs to find are just a few. Sometimes, as adults, we are too busy to notice these miracles of nature, so consider how you can create opportunities in your group for families to slow down, look closely and be curious.
Drip, drip, drop … little April showers
Springtime is known for unexpected rain showers. Can you set up some water play with watering cans, dropper pipettes, colanders and cups where children can experience water falling and splashing just like the raindrops into a puddle?
There’s lots of descriptive and onomatopoeic language to use like ‘gushing’, ‘cascading’, ‘dripping’ and ‘splash and splosh’.
If you’re lucky enough to have some outside space, children and their parents/ carers might enjoy putting on coats and wellies to jump in puddles or test out
an umbrella.
Capturing colour
The vibrant colours of spring are a welcome relief after the greys of winter. Snowdrops, primroses, violets and blossom are just a few of the flowers that brighten our days. Fabrics, tissue paper, crayons, chalks and paints can bring these colours into your group and allow children to explore, notice similarities and differences and discover connections.
Even our youngest children can begin to learn about our beautiful planet and understanding the weather and climate. Key to our children living more sustainable lives in the future is learning to love and care for the planet when they are young. At this time of year, nature puts on quite a show – how can you support children and families to notice even the small changes and start to think about the part they play in helping wildlife?
Perhaps you are lucky enough to have some outdoor space but if not, could you organise a group walk one week where families and their children meet at a suitable local green space and go exploring together? Along the way, you could spot the signs of spring like new buds and leaves on the trees or tiny primroses and snowdrops peeking out of the ground. The Woodland Trust produce spotter sheets (bit.ly/U5_ WoodlandTrustSpringSigns) if you want to give your families a challenge!
Or you might enjoy listening for and spotting birds, which can help prompt discussion around what birds eat and lead to other engaging activities such as making bird feeders. There are lots of different types to make with young children on the CBeebies website (bbc.in/49VErLi) if you need ideas.
Time for a change
Springtime weather can change quickly, offering opportunities to help children learn adaptability and resilience. You can support them to understand the clothing they might need to wear in the spring showers or what they might change if it’s a hot sunny day.
What about practicing putting wellies and coats on for some jumping in puddles? These are not only valuable independence skills but also give children the chance to be problem solvers and decision makers as they develop their thinking.
Reasons to rhyme
And of course, there is always the opportunity for a song and a rhyme together! Your local library is a fantastic place to find springtime books and stories to share with your families.
The Daffodil Poem
One little daffodil had nothing much to do,
Out popped another one and then there were two! Two little daffodils were smiling at a bee, Out popped another one and then there were three! Three little daffodils were growing by the door,
Out popped another one and then there were four! Four little daffodils were glad to be alive, Out popped another one and then there were five! Five little daffodils were wearing golden crowns
And they danced in the breeze in green satin gowns
Springtime Showers poem
Put up your umbrella
When the rain comes down. Wear a happy smile
And wipe away that frown.
Splash in all the puddles
And do a little dance.
Rain is just the thing we need
For new spring plants!
The Flower Song (sung to ‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’)
Sing a song of flowers, flowers all around.
Flowers that are growing, growing in the ground
Flowers of each colour make a pretty view
Red, orange, yellow
And green and blue too
Under 5 magazine
The magazine of the Early Years Alliance