🌸 Spring Into Learning: Easy Ways to Take the Classroom Outside!

Spring has officially sprung—and if your students are anything like mine were, they’re itching to break free from the four walls of the classroom and breathe in that fresh spring air. And honestly? I don’t blame them one bit!

The good news is, learning doesn’t have to stop when the doors swing open. In fact, some of the best lessons come to life when we step outside. Here are some simple, low-prep ways to bring your PreK–2nd grade learners outdoors for some sunshine-fueled fun (and yes, you can count it as instructional time 😉).

Nature Walk & Write

What You’ll Need: Clipboards, paper, pencils or crayons
Take a walk around the school yard or nearby park and turn it into a writing adventure!

PreK–K: Have students draw something they see outside (a flower, a tree, a bird) and label it.
1st–2nd: Turn it into a “Spring Senses” writing prompt. What do they see, hear, smell, and feel?

Bonus Tip: Add magnifying glasses for a little scientist flair! 🔍

Sidewalk Chalk Spelling & Math

What You’ll Need: Chalk. That’s it. Boom.
Let kids practice spelling words, math facts, or even writing sentences with chalk on the sidewalk or blacktop.

Write word family “houses” and have students fill in rhyming words.
Hopscotch their way through number bonds or math facts.
Create a life-sized number line or alphabet trail to jump through!

Messy hands = happy minds.

Outdoor Story Time

What You’ll Need: A book and a blanket (or just the grass!)
Take your read-alouds outside and let nature be your cozy classroom. Add a fun twist:

Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and then go hunt for bugs!
Read If You Find a Rock and let students collect their own rocks and write stories about them.

Because let’s be honest—books + birds chirping = teacher bliss.

Science in Bloom

What You’ll Need: Curiosity and a few simple tools
Spring is science gold.

Plant seeds in clear cups and observe root growth daily.
Use clear jars to create mini greenhouses.
Bring out the bubbles to explore wind, force, and direction.
Set up a “weather station” with student-made tools to track changes.

Your classroom meteorologists will be all in.

Art in the Wild

What You’ll Need: Paint, paper, nature
Take art class outdoors and paint with Q-tips, leaves, pinecones—you name it.

Try “Nature Collages” using twigs, grass, petals, and more.
Let kids lie down and sketch what they see above them.

Creative + calming = teacher win.

Scavenger Hunt with a Purpose

What You’ll Need: Printed checklists or picture boards
Make a simple scavenger hunt focused on shapes, colors, numbers, or letters.

“Find something shaped like a triangle.”
“Find 3 things that start with ‘S.’”
“Find 5 different colors.”

This is sneak-attack learning at its finest.

💡 Final Thought

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel—or even roll the cart outside. Sometimes all it takes is a good book, some fresh air, and a little imagination to turn a spring day into a teachable moment.

So go ahead—open those doors, let in the sunshine, and take learning outside. Your students (and your sanity) will thank you. 🌞

Let’s make learning bloom,
Adam