Spring is nearly here!

Spring is nearly here!  Do you take your children on walks? Why not take them on a spring walk and make it a multi-sensory experience? What do you have nearby that you could explore?

• A bluebell wood.  A fantastic experience for sight and sound. 
• A farm:
  • lambs for the children to see and maybe feed
  • farm shop with the new spring vegetables.
• Hedgerow walk.  Looking at different changes to the hedgerow.
• If you live in a city go to a park where there are trees and bushes

Then get the children to use as many of the sense as they can during and after the walk.

Smell - How does spring smell different to winter? 

• Let the children smell the blossom and other spring flowers.  
• The air smells different in spring (well I always think it does!): a fresh smell!
• The British vegetables that are available during spring

Tasting British spring vegetables,

... rather than buying the imported vegetables.  You may like to make a soup from the vegetables that you purchase.  Here is a list of British vegetables that will soon be available:

• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• Cucumber
• Jersey Royal New Potatoes
• Purple Sprouting Broccoli
• Radishes
• Savoy Cabbage
• Sorrel
• Spinach
• Spring Greens
• Spring Onion
• Watercress

The above information came from the British Food Fortnight page.  If you are interested to read more please click here. If the farm you are visiting has a farm shop you could purchase them from there.

What sounds do you associate with spring? 

On the walk ask the children to stop and listen to what they can hear:

• Birds.
  • Blackbirds
  • Blue tit
  • Chaffinch
  • Cuckoo
  • Great tit
  • House sparrow
  • Nightingale
  • Song thrush....
  • To hear what the different birds sound like please click here You may also like to take a look on the RSPB page please click here
• Baby animals: lambs, calves...

Maybe take photos to remind the children of what they saw and heard when they get back to your setting. 

Touch... 

• the flowers: blossom, daffodils, tulips...  (ensure the children wash their hands after touching flowers).   
• if you visit a farm they may allow you to feed the lambs.
• the different spring vegetables that you have purchased...

Looking at all the different changes in colour. 

Talk about how different it is to winter: brown and green. Spring: yellow, red, green, blues… (daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, bluebells…)

If you would like more ideas take a look at the Wildlife Watch page.  It has lots of ideas about spotting spring is on its way.  Please click here to view

Have fun!

Anne :)