Here are some of our favorite children’s books about spring, plus creative arts and craft ideas to go with each one, to help you kick off the spring season!
Updated March 2024
Every spring here in the midwest feels like a sigh of relief. The snow is melting, the sun is shining, and we stand witness to new life emerging wherever we look.
We’ve spent the winter curled up in blankets, reading stories in small cocoons, and now we’re ready to emerge. My favorite books for spring echo this feeling: our excitement for new life and the itch to stretch our wings in the sun.
Today, I’m excited to bring you 7 books perfect for this painfully short, but oh-so-sweet, season. Reading together is a wonderful way to celebrate the rhythms of the year, and beautiful picture books can be just the inspiration you need for family creativity!
Children’s Books About Spring
1. And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
This book is near the top of my all-time-favorites list, regardless of the season. Beautifully poetic with sparse text and sweet illustrations, the story follows a young boy as he waits and waits and waits for the first signs of spring. It perfectly captures the anticipation, joy, and wonder of this magical season.
Project: After reading And Then It’s Spring, your family might be anxious to start working outside together. And even if it’s not quite gardening weather yet, you can still have fun crafting with these adorable DIY Beaded Garden Ornaments. Place them outside in anticipation of all the beauty that will soon be there!
2. Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark, illustrated by Madeline Kloepper
If you have a “treasure collector” at your house, someone who can’t go on a walk without stopping every two feet to marvel at something, then this book is a must-read! Intricately illustrated and beautifully written, this ode to ordinary beauty might help you remember how you saw the world as a child: absolutely full of tiny, perfect things.
Project: On your next spring walk, try bringing along a bucket to collect some of the treasures you find. Then have fun creating a beautiful nature suncatcher with your new collection! We tried a fun variation on The Artful Parent’s nature suncatchers by using clear contact paper in an old frame – such a fun way to turn those tiny treasures into beautiful, temporary works of art!
3. The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
We always love Peter Brown’s books, and this one is no exception. A young boy lives in a dark and dreary world until the day he finds a few small plants. He learns to garden and the plants spread…. and spread… and spread! Super imaginative and full of fun details, this book will have your kids looking at every patch of neighborhood dirt in a whole new way.
Project: Try some “sneaky” gardening of your own with this fun seed “bomb” activity from Little Bins for Little Hands. After mixing up a batch, your kids will have fun spreading green wherever they go!
4. What Will Hatch? By Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Susie Ghahremani
This sweet book is a wonderful example of how fun nonfiction can be. With beautiful illustrations and cute cutouts, little ones will love guessing what will hatch from each unique egg!
Project: Your kids are sure to be curious about eggs after reading this book together, so why not have fun decorating some? Try blowing out eggs for ones that will last for more than a few days, then experiment with these unique decorating ideas!
5. When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Lauren Dronzek
Kevin Henkes is an absolute master of simple, evocative text; his books are classics for a reason! When Spring Comes paints a beautiful picture of the totally ordinary but completely magical transformation of the season. Your kids will love recognizing those signs of spring in their everyday lives!
Project: The spring season might be fleeting, but you can make it last a bit longer with these super fun clay leaf prints. Try collecting some beautiful spring buds and making imprints in air dry clay. The finished prints will make wonderful pendant necklaces!
6. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
This book gives your kids a sneak peek into the busy hidden world right under their feet. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt is another example of a wonderful nonfiction text, equal parts informative and entertaining. The book takes you through all four seasons, but I love reading it in the springtime to pique my kids’ interest right at the beginning of all that growth.
Project: Whether you have acres of gardens or just a couple of pots, you’re sure to find something fun for your family in this list of nature art and garden crafts for kids. My own kids especially love making melted crayon rocks and hiding them amid our growing plants (or even around the neighborhood!)
7. Rain! by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Christian Robinson
No book list for spring would be complete without a little rain, right? This delightfully fun story follows a little boy as he enjoys the rainy weather and an older gentleman who most definitely does NOT. It’s a wonderful lesson on how perspective changes everything and moods can be contagious.
Project: Now how about making a little artsy “rain” of your own? Drip painting is a fun process art activity that kids of all ages enjoy. Just water down a little paint and have fun watching all those colors drip, drip, drop!
These were some of our favorite children’s books for spring – do you have any favorites you’d like to add to the list?
More Spring Activities for Children
- 30 Spring Activities for Kids
- Nature and Garden Crafts for Kids
- RAINBOW Arts & Crafts Ideas for Kids
- 20 Spring Crafts for Kids
- 12 Flower Crafts for Kids
- 12 Ideas for Spring Crafts for Kids
Want even more creative ideas?
Check out our Spring Creativity pack!
Let creativity blossom with this fun bundle of art activities perfect for Spring!! This 40-page printable eBook is full of coloring pages, drawing prompts, games, and more!
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