Even if snow is still on the ground during the early spring months, photos provide inspiration for student writing projects. Cut spring pictures from magazines or print copies of photos of spring scenes. Mount the pictures to construction paper and laminate them so they hold up to the 2nd graders. The kids examine a spring photo and use it as the basis for a story. You might have them write a fiction story based on the picture or simply have them write a description of what they see.
This writing project also incorporates the science concept of the five senses. The kids write descriptive paragraphs about spring based on the senses. They write what they see, smell, hear, taste and feel during spring. For example, the kids could write about hearing birds, chipmunks and lawn mowers. Encourage them to make the sentences highly descriptive so someone reading it feels like they are actually experiencing it. If the weather cooperates, take the kids outside before the writing assignment so they can actually experience these things.
Letter writing is another skill used at the 2nd grade level. As St. Patrick's Day approaches, many teachers incorporate activities related to the holiday. For this writing activity, have the kids write a letter to a leprechaun. The letter might include questions about what it's like to be a leprechaun or what he found at the end of the rainbow. The kids get to practice their letter-writing skills and use their imaginations by writing to an imaginary character.
Plastic Easter eggs supply the kids with the elements of this story. Write story elements on pieces of paper and place them inside the plastic Easter eggs. The story elements might include the setting, a character or an event in the story. Relate the elements to spring. For example, character ideas include a leprechaun, the Easter bunny or a newly hatched chick. The kids pick an egg from each pile to get the story elements. They write their own stories using those elements.