Hands-on Spring Learning – Homeschooling with the Seasons: Spring is a post by contributing writer Michelle of Raising Cajuns.
Spring is a time of renewed energy. It’s time to throw off the heavy blankets of winter and shake out the picnic blanket. While winter invited reading and resting, spring invites us to run outside with our arms spread wide and enjoy the lengthening days.
You might feel ready to take on the world, but you also might not want to be stuck inside with books at the kitchen table. That’s fine. Just adjust your learning rhythms to make the best use of this seasonal energy.
While you’re running off to enjoy a bit of sunshine, consider some of these ways to deepen your learning this spring.
Hands-on Spring Learning – Homeschooling with the Seasons: Spring
Get Out and Get Moving
Make a homemade kite.
Go camping.
Take your sketchbook and pencils on a hike or just sit with them in your own backyard.
Related Reading: 5 Tools to Get Started on a Backyard Nature Study
Springtime Math Activities
Measure plant growth, plant spacing, etc. in the garden.
Chart the pollen count.
Track changing sunrise and sunset times.
Related Reading: Free Plant Worksheets for Kindergarten – 2nd Grade (this packet includes a plant growth journaling page)
Baseball Themed Studies
We learn geography by studying our favorite football team’s opponents, but you can do something similar with baseball. You could also discuss the physics or geometry of the game: pitch speed, swing force, ball path, etc.
Don’t forget about all the statistics to calculate and track with baseball!
Related Reading: 10 Ways to Homeschool with Baseball
Study Nature
Clear out the beds and plant your spring/summer vegetable, herb, or flower garden.
Find bird nests in your backyard and participate in Cornell’s NestWatch or visit BirdSleuth for educational resources, webinars, and information on Project FeederWatch.
Buy a new field guide (paper or app version).
Listen for the spring peepers.
Renew and Refresh
In addition to any religious holidays your family observes, you can also celebrate this time of rebirth and nature with the spring equinox, Arbor Day, Earth Day, and May Day.
Revisit your learning goals for this school year to see what you want to make a priority for the rest of the semester, and pat yourself on the back for what you’ve already accomplished.
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Hands-on Spring Learning – Homeschooling with the Seasons: Spring was originally published on March 15, 2013. It was updated in March 2018.
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I love the idea of learning geography by studying where different football teams are from. My four year old is into hockey, and he keeps talking about wanting to go to New York because he loves the Rangers. Which is funny because we live in New Jersey and visit New York pretty regularly….I don’t think I would have thought of extending that to study where the opponents are from though!
Yes, you can study geography with any sport, even the Olympics! It really started sticking once we started began this, and even my youngest now runs to the map on the wall every time we turn a game on. 🙂
Lots of great ideas for spring studies. We have had a few nice days this week and we spent it looking for signs of spring. We saw a morning dove in its nest. I am assuming she was nesting. We noticed the geese and ducks are starting to nest as well. I love that we can soon get out doors more to explore. We take our nature journals with us everywhere. I never thought about growing plants and measuring them. That is a great idea.