Spring Flowers Activty and “Wake Up, It’s Spring!” Book Review

by Haley Bono

With longer days and melting snow, spring is officially here. It’s time to pull out Wake Up, It’s Spring, by Lisa Campbell Ernst. This book walks the reader through a beautiful journey, as bugs, animals, and people all wake up, excited and ready for spring. The pictures are big and colorful, while the words on each page are minimal, making this a good book for little ones who might have a shorter attention span. It’s also fun to yell, “Wake up!” on every page.

This book is also a great way to discuss how different bugs, animals, or people, sleep through winter, as each page is waking up a new thing for spring. The book doesn't specifically mention topics like hibernation, it can still be used to introduce concepts like hibernate, but can still be a great way to introduce the topic. Even plants often fall to a state of dormancy during winter. So when the book says “Wake up!” it can be taken very literally, as many plants, bugs, and animals emerge.

This is an older book, and may be difficult to find. I recommend looking for it at your local library, or you can probably pick up a used copy on Ebay for an affordable price. If all else fails, click here. for a wonderful read aloud on YouTube.

Here is an easy and fun spring activity to do with your little ones.

Supplies:

Free Flowers Template, and free Flowers Background Template (there will be a download at the end of the post), something to color with, something to write with, scissors, glue.

Directions:

1. Color each template. If you are using crayons, try not to color in the circles on the background template. The wax from the crayons may make it difficult to glue.
2. Help your little ones practice spelling “spring” by tracing the letters in the center of each flower.
3. Cut along the solid lines of the flowers, but not the dotted lines.
4. SGlue each center of the flower, to a circle. Help your kids glue the letters in order, so that they spell “spring”.
5. For a 3D effect gently fold the petals up along the dotted lines.

Different Variations:

• If you are working with older kids, you can use the blank template. Help your kids think of their own six letter adjective that describes spring for them. Here are a few ideas: breezy, drippy, lovely, little, simple, annual, wooden, yellow, pretty, lively, gentle, poetic, floral.