Ten bloomin' cute craft ideas to jump into this Spring

There's nothing like a bit of art and craft to shake off the winter blues. Brighten up your early childhood education and care service and those little faces with a few fun activities that will work those fine motor skills and result in some great creations the children can take home to mum and dad.

Here are ten spring-themed ideas to get you inspired:

1. Flowerpot painting
   It's great for children to paint and draw on a variety of different surfaces. A terracotta flowerpot makes a great canvas and then afterwards the children can fill the pot with dirt and plant a flower – it's the gift that keeps on giving!
2. Grow watercress letters
   Kids love watching things grow and watercress is a good one for this as it's quick and looks great. Simply place the seeds in a letter formation on a bed of cotton balls, keep them watered and voila!
3. Natural herb playdough
   Add some fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme and mint to your homemade playdough for some fresh sensory experiences to awaken the spring vibe.
4. Broccoli print blossom tree art
   When dipped in paint, broccoli makes a great tree base for artwork. Use brown paint to help replicate a trunk and branches, and then get children to use their fingers to dot colourful flower blossoms to complete their pictures.
5. Woodland fairy crowns
   Thick brown paper bags or butcher's paper makes a gorgeous tiara or crown when rolled up. Once the ring is made, glue or staple fake flowers, grass and other decorations to it to create a cute head wreath.
6. Tissue paper rainbows
   Draw different coloured circles onto paper plates and then cut in half. Kids can then stick on cut up squares of coloured tissue paper for a beautiful rainbow.
7. Paper plate birds
   You can use paper plates or cardboard circles for this, but simply decorate with paint or drawings, add googly eyes, beak and feathers, and then fold in half for a fun stand-up bird creation.
8. Paper towel butterflies
   Pop water paints into ice cube trays and then let the children dip paper towels into each one to soak up the colours and create a great pattern effect. Once done, scrunch and attach in the middle with pipe cleaners, and stick on googly eyes for a cute butterfly.
9. Bee paper roll
   The good old paper roll or tube never fails to create a good piece of art! Using cardboard, pens and paddlepop sticks, create some wings and antennae - and don't forget to create some stripes and eyes.
10. Button flower art
    Encourage families to bring in old buttons and encourage the children to use them to create gorgeous flower artworks with paint filling in the gaps. Just be sure to keep a close eye on younger children handling the buttons.

Thanks to The Imagination Tree, Happy Hooligans and Easy Peasy and Fun for their wonderful early education craft activity ideas.