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Spring might just be my favorite season. The days are the perfect length, the weather is warming up, and signs of life are popping up everywhere. We’ve been adding some new activities for spring into our daily family writing time.
I wanted to share them with you, so you can try them with your kids. If you’ve never done family writing time, I highly recommend it. Here’s a post that’ll show you how to get started.
Now, let’s jump into the good stuff–ELA (English-Language Arts) activities for spring that’ll keep your kids occupied for 20-30 minutes while you get a task or two knocked off your to-do list. Some are meant for younger kids, and others are for older children or teens.
To help you extend this list throughout the season, you’ll find plenty of ideas under all seven themes. That way your sure to find an idea that’ll spark interest for your child.
1. Springtime on the Farm
We actually live on a farm, but your kids don’t have to to still enjoy this activity. It’ll help them think about where their food is coming from!
Since springtime on the farm is so busy, there are actually several activities that are appropriate for family writing time. You can have your child:
- Draw a picture of a barnyard in the spring
- Write a list of all the farm animals they can think of
- Write a story about spring that’s set on the farm
- Make a list of crops that farmers might grow
- Design a garden
- Research the different types of tractors that might be used to see a wheat crop from planting to harvest and write a short summary describing the process
2. Life-cycle Studies
Has your child learned about life-cycles yet? Here are some activities that reinforce the concept of a life-cycle.
- Using index cards, have your child create cards for each stage in the life cycle for a frog, butterfly, and chicken
- Write a play about an animal changing through the life cycle
- Draw a picture for each stage
- Read a book about life cycles like these (aff. link)
3. Picnic Play
Going on a picnic is such a fun activity for spring! We love packing up the lunch boxes and heading to the park for a little while.
Your child can capture some of the feelings associated with picnic time during family writing time with these activities:
- Use construction paper to create “food” for the picnic (ie: cut out bread, tomato slices, bacon, and lettuce so they can assemble a BLT)
- Write a poem about picnics
- Creating a picnic alphabet book–on page for each letter, showing something they’d bring to the picnic
- Design a menu for the next family picnic
- Look through recipe books for a fun snack to create next time, and write out the recipes that look best
- Design a new sandwich to try, and give it a fun name
4. Baseball Writing
Tis the season for baseball. Let your little fans bring their love of the game home with these activities for spring writing time:
- Write a story featuring a baseball player
- Create homemade baseball cards, researching information to put on the back
- Make a flyer explaining the game to someone who has never seen it played before
- Draw a baseball picture and label the field
- Write a newspaper style article about a game recently watched
- Create a script a baseball announcer might use
5. Winter Wrap-up
It’s time to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring. Your child can:
- Make a list of winter clothes that need put away
- Draw a picture of winter going away
- Write a song to welcome spring
- Create a game where players have to help the seasons change
6. Kite Fun
My kids got kites from Grandma on Easter, and we’ve been out kite flying several times since then. We love it! Here are some fun writing time activities about kites:
- Write a story about a child who gets carried off on a kite string ๐
- Use sensory language to describe the last kite flying adventure the child had
- Make a Cinquain poem about flying kites
- Design a kite
- Write list of words that rhyme with kite, fly, string, and sky
7. Baby Animals
We’ve welcomed a calf, and two lambs onto the farm so far, and will be picking up piglets soon. Spring is time for baby animals!
Your child can:
- Create a matching game with cards for mommy animals and cards for baby animals
- Draw a picture of a mama animal with her baby
- Research how long the gestation period is for any animals in your neck of the woods
- Scramble the words for several baby animals to create a worksheet for a sibling
- Make a word search with baby animal names
Will You Try Any of These Family Writing Time Activities for Spring?
I’d love to hear all about it! My kids will be tackling most of these in the coming weeks, and I’m excited to see what they create.
Remember to have a quick sharing time after you wrap up family writing time each day. That’s the best part!
Lisa Tanner is a former teacher turned homeschooling mom with 11 kids. She's also a successful freelance writer. Lisa enjoys helping other busy moms find time to start and grow a side hustle of their own.
Bev Waud says
So creative, Lisa. Enjoyed reading you suggestions. Made me wish I had some kids to do these.
Lisa says
Thank you so much Bev! Have a wonderful day!
April Kitchens says
This seems like something that I would love to incorporate into a homeschool routine when my daughter is older. Great post, creative writing has always been a favorite for me.
Lisa says
Thanks April! I hope your daughter enjoys family writing time as much as my crew does.
Janette says
Loved this. Very creative and I am certainly going to bookmark this and share it on my platforms. This weekend I am testing some of these on my daughter ๐ Keep up the awesome work.
Namaste.
Lisa says
Thank you! I hope that your daughter enjoys some of these activities.