Never let your schooling interrupt your education.

5 Educational Ways to Welcome Spring

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Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and founder of Steady Mom

A note from Jamie: We made it through another winter! Tulips are currently blooming on our nature table and though it’s still pretty chilly, we’re making plenty of plans for when the weather warms up. It brought to mind this post, originally published on March 22, 2010. Happy spring to you!

Living in New England, I always give myself a little pep talk before winter.

I make an intentional decision to enjoy the seasonal fun winter provides: snow, cozy fires, hot chocolate, and the holidays.

But when March hits and the calendar approaches spring, joy floods my heart. We made it–and the sunshine is (hopefully!) there to announce our victory.

Who could stay inside on days like these?

Fortunately as homeschoolers–we don’t have to.

Here are five fun ways to merge both learning and welcoming the new season.

1. Begin making plans for this year’s garden.

In our sunroom, we already have nine tiny tomato plants that our 5-year-old begged us to start two weeks ago. He’s taken ownership of those baby seedlings–nurturing, watering and flipping through books to discover what they need.

Head to your library with your kids to do some gardening research and then get to work.

Check out this post from Simple Organic to help get your garden off to a successful start.

2. Move lessons outdoors.

Photo by Andy Powell

Physical education isn’t the only subject that can be done outside. Let your budding reader head outdoors to practice while snuggled on a blanket or in a treehouse.

Take your math manipulatives to the backyard and see what you can count–worms, rocks, sticks? Or let your older child take the laptop out to work on that writing assignment.

3. Use music to set the seasonal tone.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, anyone?

It’s impossible to feel despondent when listening to the first violin concerto (spring, of course!) from the composer’s masterpiece.

This time last year, which I chronicled in a blog post here, our family used Vivaldi’s classic for inspiration as we created some springtime paintings.

4. Dust off those cookbooks and begin a new menu plan.

Photo by The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough

Involve your children in menu planning, anticipating the seasonal fruits and vegetables that will soon be on the way.

And stay tuned to Simple Bites for inspiring posts to help us feed our families well this spring.

5. Pick up a sunny read-aloud.

Even when you’re indoors, you can celebrate spring with a new picture or chapter book.

Take a look at this list for some ideas.

My favorites? A Child’s Garden of Verses and The Secret Garden.

So make sure you mark the start of a new seasonal rhythm this week. And allow yourself time to bask in the wonder of the growth blossoming around you–both within your children and the world outdoors.

What does your family do to celebrate the start of a new season?

About Jamie C. Martin

Jamie is an introverted mom of three, who loves books, tea, and people (not always in that order), and avoids answering the phone when possible. She co-founded SimpleHomeschool.net in 2010 and began IntrovertedMoms.com in 2020.

Jamie is the author of four books, including Give Your Child the World (reached #9 on Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers list), and her latest release, Introverted Mom (an ECPA bestseller). Her work has been featured by LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow, the Washington Post, Parents, Today Parenting, and Psychology Today.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jimmie

    I’m not in New England, Jamie, but as a confirmed “winter hater,” I adore the coming of spring. I cannot tell you how I pray for spring all of February.
    It’s full blown spring where I am, and we’re reveling in the warmth, sunshine, and new life. Our typical spring activity is catching tadpoles and watching them mature. We today released six almost-frog polliwogs into the fountain/pool/mini pond (what do I call that thing?) in our apartment complex. No more thermal underwear! And we’re wearing our Chacos to the river.
    .-= Jimmie’s last blog: River Rocks =-.

  2. Samya

    I live in Ohio, and it’s been wonderfully Spring here. My husband insists that I wash all the winter coats and snow pants to be put away, but I still am a little leery about winter getting another sneak in before it’s done. We’ve had snow storms in April before, so it’s hard for me to feel completely official about the “Spring” like weather we’re enjoying….so I think I’ll just wait till April. What’s another couple of weeks with all of this snow gear hanging around.
    Until then, though, we are outside every chance we get. All the windows have been open bringing a fresh clean scent through the whole house. Isn’t Spring Wonderful?!!!!
    p.s. can you please share your recipe for the strawberry pie you have picture?? Looks delicious!

  3. Renee

    This was very enjoyable to read Jamie. Just reading it puts me in a springy mood! We too move our learning outdoors but it might look more like play to the innocent bystander (wink, wink – it mostly is!).

    Thanks for the reminder about Vivaldi’s 4 seasons. I think I need to play that this morning to get things moving.

  5. Brenda

    Spring in FL is not that different then the other “seasons” usually. BUT, this year was the coldest winter ever and so we are very excited to see spring. All of the brown plants are springing new baby leaflets.

    We have headed to the beach, and our two closest nature preserves to see the little animals again (and alligators).

    We will be getting back to our nature studies very soon!

  6. Paula@Motherhood Outloud

    This is fast becoming one of my favorite blogs and this post is exactly why! I love the practical, inspiring advice. I was just talking to our daughters today about doing school outside later this week, and I LOVE the Four Seasons painting idea. Thanks and keep the great posts coming!
    .-= Paula@Motherhood Outloud’s last blog: Television…Intentionally =-.

  7. Jennifer Jo

    As I’ve been working in the garden, raking and trimming and weeding, I keep thinking about The Secret Garden—how they cleaned away the debris to give the new little plants space to grow. Maybe it’s time to reread that book to my kids…
    .-= Jennifer Jo’s last blog: Nutty therapy =-.

  8. Aly in Va

    A lovely post. We celebrated the start of Spring by baking and decorating cookies. Thanks for all the suggestions, I’m going to move The Secret Garden to our Spring booklist.

  11. renee @ FIMBY

    Finally linked through to the “this list” link you posted. What a great list of books. Thanks for finding that. I’m pointing my readers there and directing them to this post also.

  12. Tammy

    I live in the desert plains of southeastern New Mexico. Visually, spring here isn’t that different than any other season – brown, brown, and more brown. Occasionally, though, we’ll happen upon a yellow wildflower (whose stems will eventually become a tumbleweed) blooming on the side of the road or purple weed in flower beside the driveway. Or, my most recent favorite, a TULIP blooming in an island in the church parking lot. The only one. I can’t imagine how a single bulb got planted in that concrete oasis, but I’m so very glad it did!