Online Story Links 

​

When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes

 

And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano

 

Free Online Story Resources 

​

There are tons of  websites to read books online. The great thing is that a lot of them are free. Your local library may have several resources

 

StoryLine Online- story titles read by celebrities such as Oprah, Whoopi Goldberg, and more!

Libby App- Borrow books to read online from your public library.

Open Library- This was one of my favorite online library sites when I taught kindergarten. It has a variety of books available to view. I noticed this site has been updated a lot since then so more titles are available than before. 

Oxford Owl- This site offers free ebooks for ages 3 and up.  

​

Youtube Story Channels 

​

These are some of our favorite channels. Most children love bed time stories but my boys love naptime stories. Before naptime, my toddlers and I love to read stories. My go to is Youtube if I am out of print books  or want to provide the children with a different reader. During the pandemic, there social experiences have been extremely limited. My one year just went to the park for the first time the other day. It makes me sad just thinking about how sheltered Ive had to keep them. The pandemic is a whole different conversation!!!!

I  tend to stay away from animated stories unless its for television watching purposes so they can get effect of hearing the words read on a page and turning once the reader is done. In this day and age, I am competing with electronics for my child's attention ( I know already at 2)!!!! So the Youtube Channels below provide readers that are engaging for my son to listen to and have popular titles that he loves. As with anything online, always preview the link before showing your little one and always supervise their activities online. 

 

 

Kid Time Story Time

​

Storytime at Awnie's House

 

Storytime Anytime 

 

Storytime with Ryan and Craig

 

Story Time With Ms Becky

 

Mrs. Clark's Reading Corner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow Erasers in Easter Grass 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

Sensory Ideas 

Oats and plastic eggs- Use oatmeal or baby cereal (for younger toddlers) and place in a plastic container or tube for sensory play. Add colorful plastic eggs into the container for a springy touch. Supply spatula, measuring spoon, serving spoon and tongs for exploration. For further fine motor practice, set up a transfer station Allow your child to open the eggs to transfer the oats from the container to the egg and vice versa. 

 

Plastic eggs and water beads- use colorful water beads as a sensory aid in a container full of plastic eggs. Water beads are a choking hazard for children under 3. Couscous (a type of pasta) is a taste safe alternative. Cook the pasta according to the package's directions. Put the couscous in a baggie with a ziptop or a container with a airtight lid. Add a few drops of food coloring and shake to distribute the color. Lay on a sheet lined with wax paper and allow to air dry for a couple of hours.

​
 

Plastic eggs in the bathtub- Make bath time fun by providing plastic eggs during a bath. Place the eggs in a bath with a few colored bath tablets (make sure your child isn't allergic or has a skin condition before using).

​

​

Toy carrots or gummy worms in flower pot in dirt (cake mix)-  Purchase devil's food cake mix or chocolate cake mix in this taste safe sensory bin. Make the cake according to the package's directions. Wait an hour or so until the cake cools before handling.  Add gummy worms for a snack or plastic bugs for sensory play. Crumble up the cake and place in a large container. Springtime is always a good time for vegetable sensory bins. Add toy veggies for a food theme. Read the story, "Tops and Bottoms" by Janet Stevens before the sensory activity.  I love this classic story which discusses the importance of hard work as well as differences between types of vegetables. Mrs Wills Kindergarten has a great activity freebie for retelling the story. 

 

Plastic eggs in colorful noodles- Nothing says spring like a variety of colored noodles in different colors and shapes. Create a rainbow of colors using dyed noodles. Add a few drops of food coloring and a couple squirts of hand sanitizer into a Zip Loc bag full of dried noodles. You can also use cooked pasta - add a couple drops of food coloring and half teaspoon of cooking oil. Do not add the hand sanitizer!!!!

 

Plastic eggs in rice- Rice is a classic sensory ingredient. Dyed rice appeals to the senses and is plenty of fun although it can make a huge mess! I always  set physical boundaries when my boys are engaging in messy play. Since they are little, I provide them a little leeway (without them knowing). I typically put a smaller bin inside of a larger bin or put the activity outside if the weather permits. I like to lay down a vinyl tablecloth on top of a shower curtain for wet messy play such as water or cooked spaghetti. I layer the two covers so they overlap. The first serves as a primary boundary (that I tell the boys to stay within) while the second cover is there in case of an accident. 

 

Plastic eggs in beans - beans are one of my favorite sensory bins since they are not as tiny as rice but not as messy as water. Provide scoops, cups, and spoons for exploration. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s more great sensory ideas below …..

 

Therapy Fun Zone- Clean Mud 

Glued to My Crafts Blog – Bird Nest Sensory Bin 

Kids Activities Blog – Water Bead and Flower Sensory Tub

Learning 4 Kids – Digging Worms Sensory Play

Kids Play Box – Pond Life Sensory Play

The Jenny Evolution – DIY Spring Sensory Bottles

Mess For Less – Garden Sensory Bin

Fantastic Fun and Learning – Bird Nest Play Dough Activity 

 

Craftulate – Birds’ Nest Small World With Homemade Salt Dough Eggs

Hands On as We Grow – Nature Sensory Bag Suncatcher 

Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails – Bird Seed Sensory Bin

Fantastic Fun and Learning – Flower Garden Play Dough

Buggy and Buddy – Spring Themed Sensory Bin

 

Pre-K Pages – Butterfly Life Cycle Sensory Bin

Fun at Home with Kids – Mess-Free Sensory Play Butterfly 

Flower Meadow Sensory Bag

 

Glued to My Crafts Blog – Carrot Garden Sensory Bin 

Natural Beach Living – Ladybug Life Cycle Sensory Activity

Kids Activities Blog – Edible Mud Sensory Play

Plain Vanilla Mom – Flower Garden Sensory Bin

Kids Craft Room – Spring Flower Sensory Bottle Activity 

Flower Meadow Sensory Tub

Fun at Home with Kids – Rainbow Soap Foam Sensory Play

Pre-K Pages – Moldable Rainbow Sensory Sand 

Modern Preschool – Baby Bird Eats Worms Fine Motor Sensory Play

​

Gross Motor

 

Clouds and Wind from Mama of Littles

 

Music and Movement 

 

Kiboomers- Bear Hunt

 

Super Simple Songs- Five Little Ducks 

 

Jack Hartmann-Mr. Sun

 

Rock N Learn-Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear 

​

​

Science/STEM

​

PBS Kids Go Green: Litter and Our Oceans-This Video from PBS follows the adventure of Al the Aluminum Can. It demonstrates how litter can have a negative effect on our planet. The accompanying activity provides children the opportunity to “clean” up the litter. This activity is suitable for grades 1 & up.

Easy Weather Science Experiments for Preschoolers and Toddlers five easy experiments that teach about the weather and water cycle. 

 

Rainbow In A Jar: Water Density Experiment by Little Bins for Little Hands easy sugar and water demonstration of water density. While it’s a simple activity I would try this with an older preschooler or kindergartener as this activity requires attention and patience. 

​

Build A Bird’s Nest By View From A Step Stool- This stem activity is derived from the book, “Owl Babies,” by Martin Waddel. Read the story and then create your own bird's nest. Activity can be adapted for all ages!

​

​

Green House- Follow a plant's journey

from a seedling to a plant. Use this free 

activity template and accompanying

journal to track your plant's progress!

Subscribe for this freebie!

​

​

 

 

​