Welcoming the Season with Joy and Reverence
Each spring, as the earth begins to stir again, I feel a quiet invitation to mark the turning of the season in a more intentional way. Not with anything elaborate or complicated. Just something simple, gentle, and rooted in rhythm.
This year feels especially meaningful. My daughter will turn three this spring, and I find myself thinking often about the small traditions that shape childhood. The tiny rituals that quietly teach our children how to belong to the world around them.
A seasonal circle has become one of those traditions for us.
We gather together, usually in the morning, and welcome the season with songs, movement, and a simple story. It only takes a few minutes, but it creates a rhythm that both of us look forward to.
In the Waldorf philosophy there is the idea of in breath and out breath. A rhythm of gathering in and expanding out. Quiet and movement. Listening and doing. This natural ebb and flow mirrors the rhythm of life itself, and it works beautifully with young children.
Our springtime circle follows that gentle pattern. A quiet opening verse to gather ourselves. A joyful song. Some playful movement. And then a short story to close.
I tend to begin the season with only one verse per song, and then slowly add more throughout the weeks as my daughter becomes familiar with them. Young children love repetition, and building the circle gradually keeps it from feeling overwhelming.
If this feels like something your family might enjoy, you are warmly invited to use it as inspiration.
Opening Verse
We begin our circle by standing together and speaking a simple verse. It helps mark the beginning of our time together and gently draws our attention inward.
Earth & Sky
Good morning dear Earth beneath our feet,
Good morning dear Sky above.
We gather here with grateful hearts,
Held in warmth and love.
The wheel of the year is turning,
The seasons come and go.
We open now our circle
And let our learning grow.
Springtime Songs
After our opening verse, we sing a song together. I have a few that I rotate between depending on the weather or the mood of the day.
Some mornings feel bright and lively. Other days call for something quieter or more playful. Having a few options allows the circle to stay flexible and joyful.
Spring is Coming!
Spring is coming! Spring is coming!
Birdies build your nests
Weave together straw and feather,
each one doing their best
Spring is coming! Spring is coming!
Flowers are coming too
Daisies, lilies, daffodillies
All are coming through
Spring is coming, spring is coming,
All around is fair!
Shimmer, quiver on the river,
Spring is really here,
Joy is everywhere!
Ten Little Raindrops
One little, two little, three little raindrops,
Four little, five little, six little raindrops,
Seven little, eight little, nine little raindrops,
Ten little raindrops falling down!
Falling, falling, falling raindrops,
Falling, falling, falling raindrops,
Falling, falling, falling raindrops,
Ten little raindrops make a puddle!
Spring is Here
“Spring is here!” said the bumblebee,
“How do you know?” said the old oak tree,
“I see yellow daffodils,
Dancing with the fairies on the windy hill.”
“Spring is here!” said the bright blue sky,
“How do you know?” said the butterfly,
“I just saw a new born lamb,
Feeding from its mother near the beaver dam.”
“Spring is here!” said the tiny mouse,
“How do you know?” said the lady in the house,
“The doors are open and the children gone,
Playing with the fairies all day long.”
Movement
After singing, we move our bodies. This is the out breath of the circle. Children naturally need movement, and bringing it into the circle keeps the experience playful and alive.
Sometimes we move slowly. Sometimes we hop, buzz, or scamper around the room.
These are a few of our favorite movement verses.
Slowly, Slowly, Very Slowly Creeps the Little Snail
Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the little snail
Slowly, slowly, very slowly down the garden trail
Quickly! Quickly!
Very quickly, runs the little mouse
Quickly! Quickly!
Very quickly, all around the house
(end by coming back to the slow snail to bring the children back to a calm place)
In the Springtime
In the springtime, little bunnies go hop hop!
In the sunshine, little birdies go chirp chirp!
Daisies bow to daffodils
Little children run up hills
Then roll down
In the springtime!
Busy Little Bees
Buzzing here and buzzing there
Bees are floating through the air!
Find a flower, soft and sweet
Rest your wings and fold your feet.
(we usually do this one twice)
A Simple Story
At the end of our circle, we settle back down for a short story. This becomes the quiet in breath that brings the circle gently to a close.
The story usually reflects the theme of the season. Something simple, imaginative, and connected to the natural world.
Some ideas for springtime stories include:
• a little bee waking up after winter and discovering the first flowers
• a snail slowly making its way through the garden after the rain
• a tiny seed resting in the soil until the warmth of spring helps it grow
• a bird building its nest branch by branch
• a lamb taking its first steps in a sunny field
• a raindrop traveling from cloud to puddle to river
The story does not need to be long or complicated. Often just a few minutes is enough to spark a child’s imagination.
Welcoming the Season Together
What I love most about a seasonal circle is how it gently weaves reverence for the earth into everyday life.
Children naturally feel wonder toward the world around them. When we take time to sing about the rain, move like bees, or tell stories about seeds and flowers, we are nurturing that sense of connection.
We are showing them that the turning of the seasons is something worth noticing. Something worth celebrating.
And in the process, we begin to feel it more deeply ourselves.
Our circle is simple. Some mornings it is a little wiggly. Sometimes we forget a line or burst into laughter halfway through.
But that is part of the beauty of it.
It is not about doing it perfectly. It is about creating small moments of joy and rhythm that anchor childhood in the rhythms of the earth.
If you feel called to try something like this with your own children, I hope these verses and songs bring a little bit of springtime magic into your home.
