The Most Interesting Spring Facts for Kids (2024): Nature & Traditions

February 4, 2023

Updated January 21, 2024

Welcome springtime with interesting and fun spring facts! Children encounter the magic of spring from March through June in the Northern Hemisphere. Help children connect to the wonder of sunnier days, warmer weather, blossoms, and busy animals. The experiences of springtime in childhood can last a lifetime.

A child lies on the grass and reaches for the camera.

spring facts PDfs

Facts to Introduce Spring

The transition from cold, grey winters to bright, warm springtime is a full sensory experience. Curious kids will love exploring the changes in nature. They will likely ask questions about why the seasons change and how we will know spring has arrived.

The first day of spring is not always the same day. But it’s always in the middle of March.
The first day of spring is called the vernal equinox.
The vernal equinox is unique because the sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west. This won’t happen again until the autumnal equinox in September.
When it’s spring in the northern hemisphere, it is autumn in the southern hemisphere!
Once it’s finally spring, the days get longer. This means more hours of daylight to spend outdoors.
The name spring is short for “springtime,” or the time of the year when sprouts spring from the ground.
The full moon in March is called the “Full Worm Moon.” The ground thaws, and extra rain encourages worms to come above ground. Beetle larvae (that look a lot like worms) come out of the trees during the spring too.
Spring has special meanings, like growth, fresh starts, and rebirth.

Activity: Explore the moon cycle, sunrises, or sunsets. Try tracking the moon cycle, looking at the full moon, or celebrating the first day of spring by watching the sunrise.

Spring Traditions

Springtime has many special holidays, including Holi, Arbor Day, Easter, Passover, Earth Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Juneteenth.
People travel from all over to visit the Japanese cherry blossoms! Cherry blossoms have many meanings, including renewal.
You might hear people say they have “spring fever.” It doesn’t mean they are sick. They are excited and have extra energy thanks to warmer, sunnier weather.
During springtime, many people like to do “spring cleaning,” where they do extra chores and get rid of clutter.

Activity: Spring is about starting new, so create a new annual tradition. Also, plant a tree on Arbor Day. And do a litter clean-up on Earth Day.

Spring Animal Facts

In springtime, animals and bugs are busy. They wake up from hibernation, build new homes, and grow their families. This time of year is incredible for observing critters and their behaviors. These spring animal facts will tell you what to keep an eye out for.

Animals who hibernate, like bears and bees, start to wake up in the spring.
Keep an eye out for butterflies! You will start seeing them in spring.
In spring, rabbits can have litters of up to twelve baby bunnies!
Baby deer are born in the springtime, but will stay with their mothers for up to a year.
You’ll see more bee swarms in the spring. Bees are on the lookout for new locations for their hives.
Frogs lay eggs near water in early March. Soon you can see swimming tadpoles!
Spring, bunnies, and eggs all make people think of birth or starting over. Rabbits don’t lay eggs, but the Easter bunny brings them because they symbolize spring!
Each spring, leatherback sea turtles return to the same beaches where they were born to lay eggs.
Just like bees, ants are on the search for new spaces for their colonies.
Birds are busy singing to find mates and building nests to lay eggs.
Baby birds learn to sing the same way children learn to talk. They listen and learn from adults.

Activity: Nature scavenger hunts and bee activities are a perfect way to explore and learn about animals in springtime!

Spring Weather Facts

One of the most iconic parts of springtime is the weather. There can be snow, sunshine, heat, storms, wind, and rainbows. This time can be great for helping children learn about weather and weather patterns.

Depending on where you live, spring can be hot and sunny or even cold and snowy. But melting snow is a sign of spring!
June is known as hurricane season. These are big storms that happen above and near the ocean.
Flooding is more common in spring because of melting snow.
The weather starts to get warmer in spring. The temperature goes up about 5 degrees per month beginning in March.

Activity

Create a color-coded weather tracker using a blank calendar.
Assign different types of weather a color.
Color each day’s square to match the day’s weather.
At the end of the month, talk about what you observe.

Spring Plant & Fungi Facts

During springtime, plants and fungi are busy too. Springtime is a wonderful time for observing how plants grow and develop. When the ground thaws, kids can learn about mushroom foraging too. Flowers have some pretty interesting characteristics, and I share even more in our list of fun flower facts.

In spring, tree buds get larger and soon turn into green leaves. Discover more facts about trees in springtime.
Springtime is when you can see trees covered in flowers. Those flowers will turn into fruit!
Morel mushrooms are a (delicious!) type of mushroom you can only find in the spring.
The flowers that bloom first, like snowdrops, started blooming earlier and earlier. Scientists say this is because of climate change.
Many people don’t like dandelions and call them “just weeds.” But they are one of the earliest flowers to bloom.

Activity: Explore these 40 hands-on plant activities.

Two girls in jackets play outside in spring and blow bubbles.

How do you explain spring to a child?

Spring is one of the four seasons or times of the year. It happens from March to June. The weather gets warmer, animals are busier, and plants grow and bloom.

Children learn best through sensory experiences. The best way to explain springtime is to describe how the season affects their sense and lives. Open-ended questions are great for leading these conversations

Describe or Ask About

How the warm, sunny weather feels
How the snow looks when it’s melting
Plants sprouting from the ground
Flowers blooming on trees
Birds building nests
Celebrating a spring holiday

What are the first signs of spring?

Some of the first signs of spring are melting snow, green sprouts, growing tree buds, and busy insects.

I hope that you found the perfect thing to spark a conversation somewhere in this list of interesting spring facts. Our spring facts PDF will prepare you and your classroom (or child!) to explore the spring season.

If you share any of these with your child, please comment and share any adorable, hilarious, or brilliant ways they responded.