Explore Outdoors: Take a Spring Sensory Walk

Get outdoors with this Spring Sensory Walk activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Free printable activity sheet included!

Oh, aren’t you itching to get outside more? March always does that to me.

Our weather in the northeast has not cooperated to help us enjoy the outdoors. It’s been raw, wet, and… SNOWY!

But we did have one day (a bit windy!) that I got both boys outside to have a little fun.

I’ve been talking to our son about springtime and the changing seasons. So to help him explore the signs of spring, I took him on a sensory walk!

You don’t have to look far for signs of spring. Warmer temps, a bit of green. The return of the birds. And rain showers, of course!

We couldn’t help but get the hop on springtime by getting outside to search for these springtime clues. (Although some were strategically “planted” with a little help from mom!).

As this time of year is so lush with colors, sounds and smells, we used all of the five senses to enjoy the arrival of spring! Before heading outdoors, we talked about what we might find. Use this colorful printable to discuss the various signs of spring (jump to form at end of post to download):

SIGHT – Spring Things to See

Look for bugs, flowers, birds, and more!

Grab a magnifying glass to inspect the details of small insects, or peer at tiny flower petals. Even rocks have high interest when viewed up close!

Peer through binoculars to watch birds; this is especially good when you have young explorers, to avoid scaring them away.

Don a special hat or outfit to make your backyard explorations official!

Indoors: Paint suncatchers to enjoy the colorful rays inside too!

SOUND – Spring Things to Hear

Listen to a variety of birdsongs, and try to imitate them!

Stand under an umbrella to hear the sound of rain falling…on a dry day, run a sprinkler or hose over the umbrella.

Indoors: Stand under the shower for a fun demonstration of rainfall!

Play classical music like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to get in the spirit of the season.

TOUCH – Spring Things to Feel

Scoop up some dirt and feel the texture. Try this with both damp and dry dirt to compare.

Feel the softness of flower petals, or the smoothness of new grass. Perhaps you’ll even find where new plants are growing from old roots to feel the rough versus smooth texture.

Indoors: Use potting soil to plant some soaked green bean seeds, which will sprout in just a few days.