14 EDUCATIONAL WEATHER ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS
Weather is an interesting topic and a point of fascination for all children. It is a window into the natural world, but it also presents numerous possibilities for hands-on learning and exploration. Parents and educators can engage children in weather activities that help them learn about the weather in a fun and educational way.
Weather is like a big science experiment going on all around us, and our children can be mini weather explorers too!
This awesome list is packed with 14 super-fun and educational activities that will turn your kids into little weather whizzes in no time.
So, let’s get ready to introduce our little ones to the world of weather in an exciting way!
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Rainy And Stormy Weather Activities
1. Rain Cloud in a Jar
Let’s start the list off with the rainy season. Creating a tiny rainstorm in a jar with kids is going to be a fun way to experience the rain.
You can create a mini raincloud using water, shaving cream, and food colouring.
Watching fluffy shaving cream clouds puff up high in the jar and food colours fall like raindrops is so much fun. Gently squeeze a dropper full of any food colour of your choice to make “rain” fall.
2. DIY Paper Umbrellas
Feeling rather sad because kids cannot play due to the rain? An easy craft to start with would be paper umbrellas.
It can be as colourful as possible. Provide the kids with some paper, some string, and tape, and of course, let them add a good amount of creativity.
You can also inspire them to make paper decorations for umbrellas by adding raindrops and lighting bolts to make them even more appealing and special.
3. Stormy Weather Craft
We might feel that thunder and lightning are terrifying. On the other hand, they can also be beautiful.
We can let kids express their favourite things about thunderstorm art by using fluffy cotton ball clouds, paint (white and black) construction paper (black and grey for clouds and blue for raindrops), zigzag lighting bolts crafted from sparkly pipe cleaners, silver glitter, glue, and different raindrops of aluminium foil for the lightning effect.
Simply help them cut the grey or blue construction paper into clouds and raindrops, and use the straw or yellow construction paper to make bolt shapes.
Add cotton to the clouds to add texture, and arrange everything on a larger piece of paper with the help of glue and you are done. But yes, they can also add some extra effect by adding aluminium foil bolts and silver glitter.
Sunshine & Snow Weather Activities
4. SUNSHINE CELEBRATION COLOURING PAGES
The sun is our enormous energising source that makes us warm and bright!
Let’s get some colouring pages for our kids to have fun celebrating the sun’s warmth here today. Colouring is a breeze for kids with these free printable colouring pages.
Kids can gather their crayons, and markers, or simply get some coloured pencils and enjoy colouring time!
5. Winter Sensory Bin
Just mix cornstarch with that little oil, and you will get a soft, snow-like texture.
One more thing that I do is tell my kids to add cotton balls or colourful foam beads to the base for a snow-like structure.
Throw in some plastic Arctic animals, trees and small pine cones to fill the sensory bin. Your kids are going to love it for sure, just as mine did.
6. DIY Fake Snow Fun
Feeling super creative and want to have fun with your kids? Well, grab these basic household supplies and make some fluffy fake snow!
Tell the kids to mix 1 part baking soda and 1 part hair conditioner, incorporate peppermint essential oil for that winter aroma (Optional) and ta da! DIY fake snow is ready.
Now, let your kids use their imagination to play snowball fights indoors, make a tiny snowman, or create a winter forest where your favourite doll can play.
7. Snowman in a Bag Craft
Building a snowman outside might not always be an option for kids, but that’s okay! Kids can make this cute little snowman right inside with cotton balls and paper.
All you have to arrange for this activity for your preschoolers is a transparent zip-locking bag, cotton balls, black construction paper for the eyes and buttons, and orange construction paper for the carrot nose.
And yes, tell them to add a fun hat made from construction paper scraps to have more fun!
Learning Weather Through Playtime
8. Sorting the Seasons
Every season has different weather, like hot summer days with big puffy clouds or cold winter nights with soft snow falling all over.
This season sorting activity will allow you to teach students/kids to see which weather types generally happen in the summer and which ones in the winter.
Put aside images of various types of weather that are found on magazınes or print them out on your computer. Then, let them sort the pictures into four piles: spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter.
Discuss how clothing changes from one season to the next, or what stuff you may want to do in the different seasons to help them memorise better.
9. DIY Felt Weather Board
Don’t know how to engage students in class or at home today? Help them make a weatherboard with all sorts of fun weather pieces like suns, clouds, raindrops, and snowflakes!
You can use felt fabric in different colours to cut out all the different weather elements.
Then, attach them to a piece of cardboard or felt with velcro dots. Now your kids can create their own weather scenes and forecasts, just like a real grown-up weather person! This activity can be repeated in schools on a weekly or monthly basis.
Use this weather symbol template sheet to cut the felt weather shapes with your cutting machines.
10. Memory Match with a Weather Twist
Inspire kids to make their own memory game using paper and markers! They can draw pictures of different types of weather, like sunshine, rain clouds, snowflakes, and even leaves blowing in the wind or simply download these free weather memory cards.
See if they can find the matching pairs!
This is a great way to help them learn new weather words and test their memory at the same time.
11. Weather Bingo Bonanza!
It’s time to call all the bingo lovers in your class!
Get ready for a weather-themed bingo game with your students that’s super fun.
You can find free bingo cards online that have pictures or words related to the weather.
Give them some beans or small toys so that they can mark their squares, and see who can be the first one to yell “Bingo!” This is also a great way to teach them new weather words and see how much they remember.
12. Making a Mini Weather Station
Do you feel that your kids are interested in weather forecasting but are too young to get a job yet? Well, we can teach them to help create one.
They can either create a wind vane to know wind direction, an anemometer to know wind speed, a rain gauge to know how much rain has fallen, or a thermometer to estimate the relative temperature.
And the good thing is that these weather stations are easy and fun to create with just simple materials easily available.
For instance, to create a wind vane, all your kids will need is a big cup with a lid, a straw, and a pencil with an eraser. Learn how to make your own weather vane and other weather station tools in this article.
Now kids can use their mini weather station to gather weather data from morning to evening and, then, become a weather “genius”!
Even More Fun Weather Activities!
13. Weather Story Time!
How about taking kids into their imaginations so they can be explorers on a weather adventure?
It will be fun for them to imagine living in a massive cloud city or visiting a place of perpetual daylight! Get them the best weather books from school libraries, and get them snuggled in for some reading time.
Kids can even come up with their own weather stories and act them out with you as a partner!
14. Sing the Weather Out
There are countless weather songs your kids will love. Turn the music up and help them learn some weather-themed songs such as “Sunshine on a cloudy day” and, “Rain Rain, Go Away.”
By singing, they will have a joyful time while memorising and retaining new information for as long as possible.
Things To Remember
Why are weather activities important for kids?
Engaging in weather activities helps children explore nature hands-on, developing their observation skills and understanding of the weather.
Can these activities be adapted for different age groups?
Yes, these activities can be adjusted to suit various age levels, offering simpler instructions for younger kids and more complex experiments for older ones.
Are these activities suitable for homeschooling or classrooms?
Indeed! These versatile activities are perfect for both homeschooling and classrooms, fostering collaborative learning and exploration across subjects.
How can parents and educators spark children’s interest in weather?
Encouraging curiosity and enthusiasm, modelling excitement, and providing hands-on experiences can ignite children’s interest in the weather.
Any safety tips for conducting these activities?
While generally safe, it’s crucial to supervise kids, especially with sharp objects, and consider any allergies or sensitivities when selecting materials.
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