5 Ways to Learn about Seasons
With the trees starting to change and animals starting to migrate, season changes can be a great time to introduce your preschooler to the different seasons of the year. By the time they reach Kindergarten, they should know about the seasons, be able to pick out appropriate clothing for each season, and have a general sense of what changes happen in each season. There are a lot of fun ways you can engage with your child on this topic.
Picking Food for Each Season
Certain foods are associated with particular seasons, which makes a great activity when you are at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Ask your child if they notice any new fruits or vegetables at this time of year. Talk about why certain foods become ripe for eating.
If you are fortunate enough to have pick-your-own farms in your area, a great outing is picking your own apples, berries, or even flowers for each season. It has the added benefit of helping children understand where food comes from.
Read Books
Books are one of the ways small children learn about the world around them. Through engaging pictures and stories, these books are fantastic at introducing children to the seasons:
- Tap the Magic Tree
Through simple interactions on every page, your child will help this tree make the seasons change. - I am a Bunny
Through simple prose and detailed illustrations, your child will identify with some of the same experiences of this bunny through the changing seasons. - Hi Koo
The delightful little panda bear, Koo, challenges readers to stretch their minds and imaginations with twenty-six haikus about the four seasons. - My Friend Earth
Enticing pages feature clever cut-outs, flaps, and curved contours that encourage exploration as its poetic text celebrates everything Earth does for us, all the while reminding us to be a good friend in return. - The Reason for the Seasons
A great option for kids who have questions about the science behind the seasons.
What to Wear Games
You can use paper dolls or even the clothes from your child’s closet to make a fun game of naming the season and asking what to wear. Elicit a few giggles by purposely picking the wrong item when it is your turn and giving your child a chance to correct you.
Seasonal Smells
Grab some spices, scented candles, or other scented items. Take turns smelling each scent and ask, “What season does this remind you of?” Some other good questions to engage in a fun conversation:
- Does pumpkin spice make your think of Fall? How about the smell of flowers?
- Are there some scents that make you think of two or more seasons?
- Do you disagree with each other about the season it most smells like?
- Which one is your favorite?
Visit the Plants
Visit a garden or arboretum each season. Observe and discuss what is different and what is the same compared to the previous season. You can even pair this with fun art activities, like drawing what they see or making finger print trees for each season after you get home.
BONUS:
Explore their World with a Quest
Celebrate the seasons by getting outside and observing the world. LilliQuest offers free scavenger hunts to make it into a game.
