Springtime Fun Activities with Young Children

Rosemary Bogdan details fun and inexpensive ways you and your children can enjoy time outdoors this spring.

Yes, spring is a good time for cleaning, but let’s not forget the children’s preference: Springtime fun.

If you live in the north, the warmer temperatures are calling you and the children are being drawn to the outdoors. What are some fun things to do in the spring?

Water Play

Water play is always a big attraction. Maybe you have an outdoor water table for water activities. But if you don’t, as most of us, it can be very simple. Start with a small (cheap) plastic baby pool or even just a bucket of water. Give the little ones some leftover plastic laundry scoops or empty water bottles. I have seen children play for very long periods of time with just these simple items. Suggest they fill the water bottles and fling the water into the air.

Questions you might ask:

Look at how those water droplets fly through the air and back down again. Do they remind you of fireworks?

Look at how the drops reflect the sunlight? Isn’t it beautiful? Everything that is beautiful can be called the glory of God.

The water falling on the grass or plants help them to grow, doesn’t it. Growing things also reflect the glory of God.

Thank you, Jesus for our water and for all of creation.

Boats

Let’s not forget about boats. Little boats can be handmade of twigs, sticks, paper, cardboard, or if your budget allows aluminum foil.

Do you have a creek or a pond nearby? You can take them there. Or a large puddle will do. There is also that plastic baby pool. Choose something that’s easy for you and works.

Remember that getting dirty is OK. (At least in my book it is.) Nearly everything can be washed.

Art

If you have artsy or creative children or even if they aren’t showing those tendencies yet, get out the sidewalk chalk. They can draw on the sidewalk, your driveway, or old cardboard boxes. Suggest all the things they could make with the box. If you want to bring in a little history tell them how people used to play hopscotch. It’s actually kind of fun.

Not For the Faint of Heart

If your child wants to come down the slide a little faster, or maybe even a lot faster, give them some wax paper. If they ride down the slide on a square of wax paper, they will go a lot faster. And each time they do it the speed will increase. Then record them on Slo-mo on your phone. They love those little videos!

Excavating Dinosaurs

Do you have a 9x13 pan? Fill it with water and throw in some little plastic dinosaurs. Then freeze the whole thing. Your child can chip away at the ice and dig out the dinosaurs.

Does your child enjoy watching birds? Instead of dinosaurs, let a cord hang out of the top of the pan and fill the pan with water and bird food. After it’s frozen, hang the rectangle from a branch so the children can watch the birds come eat from it as the ice melts.

Gardening

This is one of my personal favorites. Let your child plant some seeds that have a high chance of success. Sunflowers are great because they grow fast!! I also like zinnias because they make great cut flowers and they’re practically foolproof. Giant zinnias are especially fun.

Homemade Playdough

Now why would I include playdough as a springtime activity? Because when playdough is used outside, those little bits can fall on the grass or sidewalk and not get stuck on your floor or carpet.

Homemade playdough is the best. Here is a recipe:

1 cup of flour
1 cup of water
2 tsp. of cream of tartar
1/3 cup of salt
1 Tbsp of vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan over low/med heat. Stir and then add food coloring. Continue to stir until thickened and sticking to the spoon. When it’s no longer wet, place on a cutting board to cool. Then knead and play with it.

Note: Don’t leave out the cream of tartar. It makes for a nice soft consistency.

This recipe is for a small batch so you can make it a few times with different colors, adding the opportunity for instructions about colors.

Let’s Not Forget Reading

Let’s read and read and read with the children. A weekly trip to the library can keep their enthusiasm up. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of trips to the library.

Well, there are a few suggestions. The important message is to have fun with your children! Having fun is what they do best. Perhaps some of these activities could be offered as incentives to finish chores or rewards for good behavior during a daily Mass.

Oh Lord, thank you for the gift of parenthood. Thank you for the blessings of creation. May we encourage in our children a sense of gratitude and wonder at all that you have given us. Blessed be God!

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Copyright 2026 Rosemary Bogdan
Images: Canva