Springtime in the Classroom

Is there anything better than a warm spring day after a long, cold winter? I want to share some of my favorite springtime activities to use with your students!

By the spring, most 3rd graders have worked hard to learn and master their multiplication facts! One of my favorite activities are these multiply & color pages (also has some division pages). They were always a hit with my students. They can make a fun hallway display, or they work perfectly for a sub folder! You can find these pages HERE in my TPT store!

Another fun idea is to host a multiplication egg hunt. Buy a few packs of plastic eggs and mix/match the colors. Use a sharpie to write multiplication problems on one side and answers on the other. Then take your kids outside to the playground or a grassy area. Separate the egg halves and toss them around. Then, let students hunt around searching for the answer to each problem. They love it! Plus it’s a great opportunity to go outside.

We always learned about weather during the springtime! One of my favorite activities is creating water cycle bags. All you need are ziplocks, sharpies, water, blue food dye, and box tape. After we learn the steps of the water cycle, I give students a sharpie and ziplock. They draw the water cycle on their baggie. Next, put a few drops of blue food dye in the bag and add some water. I use box tape to hang them in our classroom windows (box tape holds up well so the bags won’t fall!). Then watch the water cycle in action! The kids were obsessed with checking them daily!

With our weather unit we also learned about different kinds of severe weather and how to prepare for each. I let students choose a type of weather– and they did research using books from our library and online books (Myon or Epic). Then each student filled out a severe weather brochure. You can find these FREE brochures in my Free Resource Library!

Our last unit in social studies usually involved maps! For one project we mixed up large batches of salt dough– then I gave each student a paper copy of the state of Missouri. They shaped their lump of dough on the paper to fit the map. Once the salt dough dried (took a day or so)– we used different colored paints to show the regions of Missouri (which also tied into our 3rd grade state standards). The kids LOVED this activity!

Lastly, we learned about map keys and used the first letter of our names to create “Me Islands”. The kids had to think of things they loved and turn it into symbols for a map. They also had to fill in the compass rose. Find this project for FREE in my resource library!

Also, if you’re doing distance taeching– check out my Spring themed google slides! Also perfect to make morning greeting or instruction slides for students (in class).