Everyday Weather

Every morning when she wakes up my youngest asks me, "What's it going to be like today?"  She isn't asking about our plans for the day, or what our moods will be, she is asking about the weather.  She wants to know details:  What will the temperatures be like? Will it rain? Will it snow?  She uses this information, like many of us, to plan her day.  Will she bike in the rain and let the puddles throw stripes up her back?  Will she get to use her umbrella?  Will it be hot enough to run in the sprinkler?  Will she venture into the cool damp of the forest to look for mushrooms? Will she lay on her back and watch the clouds go by? Will it be windy enough to fly a kite? And what clothes should she put on to be ready to play outside today?

Tuning into the weather is an important skill for children.  Paying attention each day to the variations in weather patterns teaches kids strong observations skills.  The weather provides facts that are measurable and leads children to develop questioning and examining abilities that are important in learning the scientific method process. As children pay attention to the weather they are collecting data, evaluating, analyzing and communicating.  They are becoming critical thinkers and scientists!

Here are a few fun ways to help your children investigate changes, observe patterns and file away information about the weather.

• Create a wind vane with a pencil and drinking straw, then talk about what directions the wind comes from and how it feels when weather comes from the west versus the east.
  https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/where-is-the-wind-going-try-a-diy-weather-vane  Blow bubbles outside and follow them, noting the direction they move.
• Lie on your back and look up at the clouds, describe them.  Which way are they moving and why?  Find a field guide to weather and clouds in your library or go online to learn more about cloud shapes.  
• Create a weather watch worksheet.  Help your child study and then predict the weather based on the data they collect.  Talk about how the weather affects many people who work outdoors (farmers, construction workers etc.)  You can print a simple worksheet here:  https://www.storey.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/NatureConnect_pg55.pdf
• Do some rainfall experiments.  Set out several different containers- tall and deep, wide and shallow.  See how much rain has collected after a storm.  Check early in the morning to see if dew has collected.  Keep a record of the water level from week to week.  Talk about evaporation.  Do you see insects or animals using the containers for drinking or bathing?
• Fly a kite.  Ahead of time, make predictions abut how well the kite will fly and in what direction based on observations of wind speed and direction, then test your hypothesis!

Here are some favorite books about weather to read with your children:

The Cloud Book by Tomie De Paola
Worm Weather by Jean Taft and Matt Hunt
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Green Shaw
The Storm by Akiko Miyakoshi

If you are looking for more weather activity ideas, a favorite resource book we use at the KVR is The Wild Weather Book: Loads of Things to do Outdoors in Rain,  Wind and Snow by Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield.

We'd love to see photos of you and your children enjoying all sorts of weather, feel free to post them to our Facebook page.