Spring is in the air! We've got read alouds and activities to help you hop into spring. This season is filled with plenty of celebrations to weave into your everyday math and ELA lessons. Check out this list of favorite springtime read alouds and activities!
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Saint Patrick's Day
1. Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato
written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola
Why is this a good read aloud for St. Patrick's Day?
This story is such a fun way to bring a little Irish charm into your classroom for St. Patrick’s Day! It’s full of playful humor and themes like luck and teamwork that kids love. Plus, it sparks great conversations while keeping your students smiling and engaged. A perfect mix of learning and laughter!
An Activity to pair with “Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato”
Explore Irish folklore with Fin M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill, also by dePaola. Compare and contrast the main characters in each story. A deep dive into these tales helps kids practice thinking skills as they find what’s the same and different between the characters.Read more here about how to teach compare and contrast in the elementary classroom.
2. How to Catch a Leprechaun
by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Andy Elkerton
Why is this a good read aloud for St. Patrick's Day?
This is a perfect St. Patrick’s Day read-aloud to get kids giggling while inspiring their imaginations. With its playful mischief and clever twists, it’s a fun way to spark creativity and teamwork in your classroom!
An Activity to pair with “Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato”
Spark creativity and problem-solving by building your own leprechaun traps! Here is a step-by-step guide for planning a leprechaun trap activity with your class.
3. How to Trap a Leprechaun
by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Emma Randall
Why is this a good read aloud for St. Patrick's Day?
This story is a fun way to get kids thinking creatively and working together. With playful rhymes and clever ideas, it keeps students engaged while sparking their imaginations and excitement!
An activity to pair with “How to Trap a Leprechaun”
After you've built your leprechaun traps with your class, work on writing skills & imaginative thinking when you give our no prep writing passages a try! Students will write about how they would catch a leprechaun on the loose.
4. That's What Leprechauns Do
by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
Why is this a good read aloud for St. Patrick's Day?
This story brings a delightful dose of leprechaun mischief to your St. Patrick’s Day celebration! It’s a playful read that keeps kids entertained while sparking conversations about curiosity and problem-solving.
An activity to pair with “That's What Leprechauns Do”
Leprechauns love to count their gold! Reinforce math skills in a fun, thematic way by having students practice being leprechauns (minus all the mischief!) with March Math Centers and Math Puzzles for 1st Grade and 2nd Grade. Students can practice money counting skills, compare numbers with shamrocks and leprechaun hats, find the end of the rainbow with sums practice, and so much more with these spring-themed math centers!
5. Fiona's Luck
by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Kelly Murphy
Why is this a good read aloud for St. Patrick's Day?
This charming tale weaves Irish folklore with a clever twist, making it a great pick for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s perfect for sparking conversations about resourcefulness and courage while captivating young listeners with its magical story!
An Activity to pair with “Fiona's Luck”
Boost problem solving skills when students help save the day like Fiona by putting these mixed-up math puzzles back in order!
6. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover
by Lucille Colandro, illustrated by Jared Lee
Why is this a good read for St. Patrick's Day?
This silly, rhyming story is full of surprises that keep kids laughing and engaged from start to finish. It’s a great way to build sequencing skills while having a little fun with holiday-themed humor!
An Activity to pair with “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover”
Students will love to color along with the March Color by Number pages (math skills reinforcement) as you read this silly spin on a classic tale. These practice packed sheets will improve fine motor skills & number recognition.
First Day of Spring
7. When Spring Comes
by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek
Why is this a good beginning of spring read aloud?
This story is such a lovely way to welcome spring into your classroom! With its bright pictures and simple, sweet words, it gets kids excited to spot all the little changes that come with the season.
An Activity to pair with “When Spring Comes”
Enhance observational skills and sensory awareness while taking a walk outside and look for signs of spring! Engage the senses as students look, hear, smell, and feel signs of spring. Students can use their writing notebooks to record observations on their springtime walk. Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring is a similar book to use with this activity. Use these sensory details as the building block of a narrative writing piece. Looking for more tips on narrative writing? Check out our post with the best tips on introducing narrative writing in the elementary classroom.
8. Sometimes, Rain
by Meg Fleming, illustrated by Diana Sudyka
Why is this a good beginning of spring read aloud?
This sweet story is perfect for welcoming spring with your class! It’s got such a cozy vibe, and the beautiful pictures really help students notice all the little changes in nature—even on rainy days!
An activity to pair with “Sometimes Rain”
Encourage creativity and expressive writing while creating a beautiful hallway art for any season! Make the Rainy Day Umbrella Craft, and have each student write about their favorite type of weather. You can even play soothing rainfall white noise as the students complete this activity!
9. William Wakes Up
by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Chuck Groenink
Why is this a good beginning of spring read aloud?
This is such a fun pick to kick off spring! It’s all about teamwork and getting ready for something special, plus the sweet story and adorable illustrations keep the class engaged the whole time.
An activity to pair with “William Wakes Up”
Develop an understanding of story structure and sequencing with these sequencing strategies. This book also makes for wonderful readers' theater. Act out the events from the story to increase student comprehension – and have some fun!
10. If You Plant a Seed
written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Why is this a good beginning of spring read aloud?
This beautifully illustrated story is a perfect way to start spring, showing how small acts of kindness can grow into something wonderful. The gentle message and stunning artwork make it a classroom favorite!
Activities to pair with “If You Plant a Seed”
Activity #1: Integrate science learning with hands-on activities while students dig into a unit on seeds and planting. Students will create their own lapbook, filled with vocabulary, drawings, diagrams, and everything they need to know about the life cycle of a plant! Plant your own seeds in the classroom and watch them grow!
Activity #2: You can also use this book along with an SEL unit on kindness. Have students create a “Kindness Garden.” On a flower cut-out, have students write ways they can be kind. Or write down when they see students being kind to each other. When seeds of kindness are planted, watch how many flowers can bloom!
April Fool's Day
11. April Foolishness
By Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Wescott
Why is this a good read for April Fool's Day?
This playful story is such a fun way to bring some laughs into the classroom for April Fools’ Day! The silly twists and surprises keep students giggling while they try to figure out what’s really going on.
An Activity to pair with “April Foolishness”
Boost your students' grammar skills and sentence structure understanding with this fun classroom favorite! They'll love unscrambling mixed-up sentences to fix a silly story and even creating their own scrambles to share.
12. Wee Hee Hee: A Collection of Pretty Funny Jokes and Pictures
Why is this a good read for April Fool's Day?
Got some jokesters in your classroom? This large-print, illustrated joke book is full of laughs and even includes tips on how to set up and tell jokes like a pro. Ready to get the giggles going? Check out this list of favorite jokes and riddles that are perfect for April Fools’ Day—or any day you need a little fun!
An activity to pair with “Wee Hee Hee”
Have students practice reading and handwriting with our Joke of the Day Handwriting resource! You can instantly download these daily jokes from All Access – and that's no joke!
Easter
13. The Great Eggscape!
By Jory Johns, illustrated by Pete Oswald
Why is this a good read aloud for Easter?
This story is perfect for Easter time with its playful mix of humor, teamwork, and a little egg-citing adventure! It’s a fun way to bring some seasonal fun into the classroom while keeping students entertained and engaged.
An activity to pair with “THE GREAT EGGSCAPE”
Reinforce math problem-solving in an engaging way with an egg hunt! Give the Easter Egg Math Card freebie a try. Students can search for eggs around the classroom filled with math problems, and use the handy recording sheet to write their answers.
14. How to Track an Easter Bunny
By Sue Fliess, illustrated by Simona Sanfilipo
Why is this a good read aloud for Easter?
This story is a great way to add some Easter fun to the classroom! With its playful adventure and clever twists, it keeps students curious and thinking creatively.
An activity to pair with “How to Track an Easter Bunny”
We love to incorporate STEM activities! And, this STEM activity encourages teamwork, engineering skills, and physical activity! Help the Easter Bunny get from basket to basket. Have students work together to create a bridge between two Easter baskets that is strong enough to hold the Easter Bunny (a stuffed animal/weight)!
Or, have a “Bunny Hop!” relay to get students up and moving:
- Hop on one or two feet to a basket filled with eggs.
- Take an egg, and run back to the starting line.
- Drop the egg in the basket as the next classmate takes off!
- For an extra challenge, fill the eggs with simple math facts or sight words.
- The first team to collect all their eggs is the winner!
15. Too Many Carrots
written and illustrated by Katy Hudson
Why is this a good read aloud for Easter?
This story is packed with adorable illustrations and a sweet message about sharing and friendship. It’s lighthearted and fun, and the kids will love following along with the main character’s silly problem!
An activity to pair with “Too Many Carrots”
Head on over to the carrot patch to practice some math skills! Practice telling time with the Rabbits and Carrots Center, or find the missing addend in the carrot patch with the Carrot Addition Center. You can find these activities and more in the April Math Centers.
Mother's Day
16. Me & Mama
Written and illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera
Why is this a good read aloud for Mother's Day?
This sweet story is such a warm and cozy pick for springtime! It’s full of heartfelt moments about family and everyday connections that make it so special to share with your class.
An activity to pair with “Me & Mama”
Practice your spelling pattern of the week with “Breakfast for Mom,” a page from our no-prep spelling activities.
17. How to Raise a Mom
by Jean Reagan, illustrated by Lee Wildish
Why is this a good read aloud for Mother's Day?
This lighthearted story is a fun way to bring some laughs into the classroom, especially around springtime. Kids love the clever role reversal, and it’s a great way to spark conversations about family in a playful way!
An activity to pair with “How to Raise a Mom”
Practice “How To” writing with the class. Make a list of all the ways they can be a helper around the house. Then, have students make a step-by-step list of how to do that job. Share their writing with the class.
18. That's Me Loving You
By Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Teagan White
Why is this a good read aloud for Mother's Day?
Mother's Day can be a difficult day for some students (and teachers!). This book is a thoughtful reminder that we are always surrounded with love, even when the ones we love are not near us.
An activity to pair with “That's Me Loving You”
Have each student choose a family member or friend that they like to spend time with. Practice writing a friendly letter to that person, and then send it in the mail! Check out our blog for more tips on how to teach friendly letter writing in the elementary classroom, and books to model friendly letter writing.
19. Saturday
By Oge Mora
Why is this a good read aloud for Mother's Day?
This sweet story is perfect for a Mother’s Day read-aloud! It’s all about the love between a mom and her daughter and how they stick together, even when their plans don’t work out. It’s such a good reminder for kids that what really matters is spending time with the people we care about.
An activity to pair with “Saturday”
Students will write about the best day ever. Use the “Best Day Ever” narrative writing prompt from our No-Prep Writing Prompts to get started.
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