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The days are getting warmer. The horses are shedding. Spring is coming! However, I have to remind myself that every year I’ve lived in Indiana it has snowed one last time in April. Anyway, most holidays and seasons I forget to plan activities beforehand and then one day realize it’s a holiday and I should have done something. In the spirit of planning ahead, here are some Spring activity ideas for you!
Spring Topics
Create activities based on the following topics and holidays:
- Earth day
- Easter
- Insects
- Life Cycles
- Butterflies (& Caterpillars)
- Chickens
- Frogs
- Flowers
- Patrick’s Day
- Weather
- Kites
Spring Scavenger Hunt
I love this idea because it focuses not just on images, but sounds and textures, incorporating all the senses! This is a list of ideas of scavenger hunt items to find based on Spring. You can make cards with pictures and textures on them, use the actual items, hide them in the arena, or even hide them on your sensory trail outdoors!
- Sounds of Spring
- Frogs or toads
- Rain drops
- A bird singing
- Ice cream truck music
- Lawn mower
- Woodpecker
- Music from an open car window
- Sights of Spring
- Plants sprouting
- Flower buds
- Flowers
- People sitting outside
- Open windows
- Spring fruit
- Textures of Spring
- Tree bark
- Bench
- Cobblestone
- Signs
- For textures they can feel them, or even create rubbings (put a paper over the item and rub it with a crayon to record the texture visually). Then collage it! Cut out shapes from the patterns and glue them to a poster board. Arrange in order to make a rubbing map of your walk, or glue at random for an abstract pictures.
Spring Activities
Here are some things people typically do in the Spring that you might be able to replicate in your lessons.
- Create an egg out of construction paper
- Pot O Gold
- Create a pot and coins labeled penny, nickel, dime, quarter, dollar. Spread the coins around the arena. The rider who collects the most wins. Or make some other creative game to do with this.
- Picnic Party
- Blow bubbles
- Fly a Kite (if you can figure out how to do this safely with a horse, please let me know)
- Pinwheels
- Make Mud Pies
- Bird Feeders, Bird Watching
- Easter Egg Hunt
- Hide colored eggs around the arena. You can hang tubs to put them in, or put them on or by obstacles. Give each rider a saddle bag or Easter basket (that their sidewalker can hold). Collect as many eggs as you can! Or, assign each rider a specific color of egg to collect. Hide horse treats inside some eggs to give their horses afterward.
- Flower Petals
- disperse flower petals around the arena, collect them all to make the flower
Volunteer Appreciation
- Give volunteers flowers to take home. Have the kids decorate the pots and even pot the flowers. One barn I was at did this and it was so cute. They were located next to a nursery and got the flowers donated.
- Have the kids fill plastic eggs with notes and treats for their sidewalkers. This can even be an on-horse activity during a lesson.
What are you planning to do with your riders this Spring? What activities have you done in the past?
Resources
- Neuborne, Ellen. “Spring Outdoor Fun.” http://www.parents.com/fun/activities/outdoor/spring-outdoor-fun/
- AtoZTeacherStuff.com. “Spring Activities, Printables, Lesson Themes, and Units.” http://themes.atozteacherstuff.com/574/spring-activities-printables-lessons-themes-and-units/
- Ammerman, KJ. “15 Spring Activities to Do With Your Kids (Indoor and Outdoor).” http://www.mykidsadventures.com/indoor-outdoor-spring-activities/
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Note: This is not professional advice, this is a blog. I am not liable for what you do with or how you use this information. The activities explained in this blog may not be fit for every rider, riding instructor, or riding center depending on their current condition and resources. Use your best personal judgment!