Spring is a time for new beginnings. Flowers and trees start to bloom again and we can soak up more sunshine than we have in months. It’s like a breath of fresh air! As a teacher, you can bring the excitement of the new season into your classroom with spring-inspired activities that will get your upper elementary students thinking critically while celebrating the arrival of warmer weather.
Today, I wanted to share some of my absolute favorite activities for spring. These are resources I created that are inspired by spending time in the sunshine, and what kid doesn’t love that? You can cover multiple subjects with these activities, so your in-demand classroom time is spent well.
My STEM Kite Challenge is perfect for this time of year!
If you know me, you’ll know that I love to connect my lessons to literature, and this activity is no different. This STEM activity for kids can be connected to the book Iqbal by Francesco D’Adamo. This way, you can stretch out your reading lessons and get a better understanding of if your students are comprehending what they are reading while also engaging in STEM thinking.
This challenge will engage your students as they learn all about kites. They’ll research kites and how they work and then design and create their very own using various materials! Afterward, you can take them outside to get some fresh air and test out their kites. This activity is perfect if you want to get your students engaged in the Engineering Process.
My Wind Car STEM Activity is also great for spring
Just like the STEM kite activity, this STEM challenge also connects to literature. If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen is a fantastic book about a young inventor who comes up with his dream car. Use this story to inspire your students to do the same with this STEM activity!
Designing a Wind Car gives students the opportunity to design and create a wind car of their very own. It is a fun team-building activity that gets students thinking critically as they design and build their dream car after reading the book.
Economics is integrated into the lab through discussions and understanding scarcity, human, natural, and capital resources. Students collect the data of the distance their cars traveled. Through this experience, students will learn many concepts as they are engaged in a fun activity!
This activity engages students in thinking through the Engineering Next Generation Science Standards. You can use it for spring, or even an Earth Day celebration activity. If you are looking for a digital option, don’t worry. I included Google Slides so that you can easily adapt this activity to fit your needs.
These STEM activities for kids are great for getting elementary students interested, engaged, and excited about learning. I love that you can cover multiple subjects with these lessons!
Looking for even more fun spring STEM activities?
Check out my daily STEM challenges for April! You’ll get a new STEM activity for every day of the month.
You can also check out this blog post for more spring activities for elementary!
What are your favorite spring activities for kids in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!
