Spring has Sprung! Activities for 10 Books

Super Tot is 3 years old.

What's on the Tray?

Building Butterflies with The Crunching Munching Caterpillar

In this book, Caterpillar meets a bird, dragonfly, bee & butterfly.  He wishes he could fly like them.  Of course, at the end, his wish comes true. 

Super Tot will be locating the shapes listed on each blue card and building a butterfly using those shapes (see example).

Being Fruitful w/ Secrets of the Vine

Secrets of the Vine for Little Ones is a perfect companion for teaching young children the significance of John 15, and for helping them understand the symbolism of the Gardener, Vine, branches & fruit in this parable.

Under each grape is the name of a person that Super Tot told me he wanted to pray purposefully for this week.  Each day, he will remove one grape, and we will pray for that person throughout the day.  He will also send a little note to each person, letting that person know that he prayed for them.

Sound Matching with Bunny

In Bunny's Noisy Book, little Bunny experiences the many sounds of spring as he ventures out.

Each green egg is filled with a different item, and each has a matching yellow egg.  Super Tot is to shake each of the eggs and match the sounds.  

This is my inexpensive homemade version of sound cylinders!

Finding a "Home for A Bunny"

In this sweet book, Bunny is searching for a new home.  He finds many options, but they are all taken by other animals, and wrong for various reasons.

Super Tot will help each bunny find it's appropriate home by using the chopsticks to place each one in the "home" of the same color.

Matching Fruits

How a Seed Grows teaches children what happens when we plant a seed - the life cycle of a plant.

Because many plants bear fruit, Super Tot will be matching photographs of whole fruit with photographs of each type of fruit cut in half.  Some will be obvious, but others less so.  I found these printables here.

Letter Matching with Ten Little Ladybugs

We'll be working on counting as we read this fun book, but we'll move on to letters once we are done.

Each 2-piece letter puzzle matches the uppercase letter with the lowercase and builds a ladybug.  The puzzles are self checking when you turn them over, as each one also builds an item that begins with that letter. 

Nature Walk in God's Forest of Dreams

This is a sweet book that goes through various things that God created & using our senses as we experience the end of winter and beginning of spring.

We will take a nature walk after reading this book, collecting nature items in our egg carton to match each color that I painted in the cups.  I got this idea from Family Fun.

Counting with The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Our little caterpillars are hungry, just like the one in the book!

There are 8 cards, each with a different number of holes that the caterpillar has eaten through the leaf.  Super Tot is to count the holes and place the stone with the correct number on each card.

Little Quack Math

This is one of Super Tot's favorite books.  

We will use the mat to count and do early math as we read the book.

One of this week's journal ideas:

In Don't Worry About Tomorrow, the little girl faces her fears and realizes she is having so much fun that she has forgotten them altogether.

I will be asking Super Tot to draw or write about one of his fears (I am sure it will be the dark).

I find tons of inspiration at these sites, and I know you will, too:

1+1+1=1

Sun Scholars

No Time for Flashcards

Homeschool Creations

Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

ABC & 123

Living Life Intentionally

Read, Explore, Learn

Living Montessori Now

Homeschooling on the Cheap

Easter Story Eggs

I know it Easter is still a couple months away, but I love gathering my craft and ministry ideas well in advance, and I thought you might, too!  

A few years ago, my husband and I were teaching children's Sunday School and wanted to put together a fun Easter project for our class.  We thought this would be a simple project that the children could put together to use as a ministry opportunity in their communities.  I was inspired by a set of Resurrection Eggs that I have used both at home, as well as in Sunday School every year.  I wanted to provide the children with a tangible way to share the Easter story with others.  They each made two eggs - one to keep and one to give away.  

Supplies Needed:

Makes 1 dozen eggs

12 large plastic Easter eggs

12 pennies

Leather lacing cut into twelve 2-inch strips (available at craft stores)

12 nails - 1 1/2 inches long

12 small wooden crosses (available at craft stores)

12 dice

Scrap of linen or other fabric, cut into twelve 1 1/2 inch squares

12 small stones

Raffia ribbon

Glue dots

Click on the document below to download and print 2 copies onto cardstock

For our Sunday School class, I had separate bowls containing each item.  First, I showed the children a completed egg and told them the Easter story using the egg.  Each item in the egg is a tangible symbol of one part of the story.  These are listed on the card, along with scripture references.  

After hearing the story, it was time for them to make their own eggs.  We created an assembly line and each child went down the line and put their own eggs together, getting one of each item and putting it in their egg.  I had already cut out the cards and hole punched them, so they were able to do everything themselves, and very easily.  We used a single glue dot to hold the ribbon onto each egg.  The children went through the line twice (this was easier than doing 2 eggs at a time), so they ended up with their 2 eggs.    

Once the eggs were put together, we practiced telling the Easter story using the egg.  We also prayed over the eggs and talked about how the children could use their extra egg as a ministry opportunity.  

Some of them decided to leave them on neighbors' doorsteps.  Some wanted to give them to friends, teachers, or the homeless.  Others had family members who they wanted to share the Gospel of Christ with.  It was really neat to see each of them coming up with mission opportunities that worked for them, and to be so excited about sharing God's Truth with others.

We got such incredible feedback from the children, as well as their parents, after doing this project.  This is an activity that we will use every year, and I hope you will, too!

Please keep in mind that there are many methods of using the egg and symbols when sharing the Easter story.  Just remember that whatever is natural for you is the best way!

ENJOY!