Sensing Spring

Two beans sprouting in a pot of soil with sun shining on them.

Happy Spring!!

I just found out that this past winter in Ontario, where I live, was the darkest on record in the past 83 years! No wonder it feels so good to see the sun. ☀️ If you’re like me, you’re taking every chance you can get to be outside, soaking in this glorious season. I feel just like these beans sprouting in their pot, stretching and reaching up to soak up those golden rays.

Spring is a wonderful time to savour using all our senses. It’s a great way to introduce kids to the magic of using their senses to explore and experience the world around them. 

Go on a walk outside if you can. If that’s not possible, just open the windows and let the Spring inside. Invite children to think about all the ways that they can notice Spring using their senses. Anything goes. Just let children express what they notice and what associations they make with this wonderful new time of year.

Here are a few ideas:

👀 LOOK - what signs of Spring can you SEE outside?  (Sunshine, melting snow, grass turning green, soil and gardens appearing from under the snow, plants sprouting.)

👂🏽 LISTEN  - what sounds do you HEAR that tells you that it’s Spring?  (Birds chirping, water dripping and trickling from melting snow.)

🫲🏾 FEEL - what Spring things can you FEEL with your fingers? (Puddles, soil, worms, warm pavement.)

👃🏻 SMELL - what does Spring SMELL like? Why are there so many smells at this time of year? (Earthy, green, fresh.)

👅 TASTE - what are the foods & flavours that you EAT in the Spring? (Green foods, fresh salads, Spring holiday foods - Nowruz, Ramadan, Passover, Easter.)

Give children the opportunity to document and express what they’ve noticed. This can be different depending on the ages of the children in your world. Some options are simple conversation, dramatic expression, writing short rhymes or stories, drawing, painting or creating representations with art materials. I’d love to see what you come up with!

What really makes YOU feel like it’s Spring? 

For me it’s definitely the smell. That rich, deep, earthy fragrance of soil and new growing plants just makes my heart sing. It reminds me of the beautiful cycle of the seasons of which we’re a part. It gets me excited for a new season in the garden. I can’t wait!

Happy Spring! 

🌱☀️🌈 Janet