Make a hands-on seasons activity for kids using rocks or stones, wooden circles, and some stickers! Children can sort the picture stones onto the appropriate wooden circle depicting either spring, summer, winter or fall. Such a great way to encourage discussion about the differences between the four seasons!
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Not only was this sorting seasons activity a wonderful learning activity for my preschooler (and soon to be kindergartener), but it was also a lot of fun to make!
Paint some wooden slices to represent each of the four seasons and create some picture rocks. Children can then sort the picture rocks by placing them onto the wooden slice representing the appropriate season.
This activity is a great way to extend children’s knowledge about the four seasons and open up a discussion about each season as they are doing the activity. It makes a great addition to a preschool or kindergarten classroom and would be fun to use right at home with your child too! Place it near some seasonal picture books to help your child make connections with the text and the world around them.
See the Activity in Action
Some of our Favorite Seasonal Picture Books
The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree
Sorting Seasons Activity Using Stones
Materials for Sorting Seasons Activity
- Four wooden slices (I found mine at our local craft store- similar to these.)
- Acrylic paint and paintbrushes
- Optional: Gesso (or white acrylic paint)
- Mod Podge
- Medium rocks or stones
- Stickers
Directions for Making Sorting Seasons Activity
1. Start by making your wooden circles. Each wooden circle will represent one of the four seasons. Paint each wooden slice with a base coat of gesso or white acrylic paint and let dry.
2. Now use your acrylic paints to paint a scene onto the wooden slices to represent each season. You can invite your child to help you!
3. Once the paint has dried, cover it with a layer of Mod Podge to protect the paint.
4. Next you’ll be making your picture stones. Rinse and dry your stones.
5. Find stickers to represent each season. I found various stickers at my local craft store. Place one sticker on each rock.
6. Paint a layer of Mod Podge over each sticker and let dry.
** You can also paint the rocks with your own images rather than use stickers. This would make a fun art project to do with your child or a collaborative art activity to do as a class!
Using the Sorting Seasons Activity with Kids
Discuss the images painted on each wooden slice and which season each represents. Place them onto the floor or table.
Invite your child to take part in a sorting activity with the rocks. Decide which season each picture stone represents and have them place the stone onto the correct wooden circle. Do this until all stones or rocks have been sorted. Open up a discussion about why your child decided to place certain rocks onto the circles. Ex. Why did you put the sunglasses in summer? Could the sunglasses also be used in another season? Why or why not?
Be sure to leave this activity out where you child or students can access it for a few weeks (especially accompanied with books about seasons).
You’ll be surprised to see the different ways they come up with to use the materials and the discussions the children have as they are playing together!
