Children love to learn about the weather! When exploring weather, children have many opportunities to use all 5 of their Senses!
Sight - Whats_the_Weather_Like
Observe the weather outside each day!
What is the weather outside TODAY? Look in the newspaper each day and at the weather map in the paper (the children can also visit http://www.weather.com.) Show the children how to tell where it will rain, snow, storm, or be sunny. Save the week’s forecast from the newspaper for your city and compare it with the actual weather each day. Was the weather prediction in the paper correct? Have the children predict what the weather will be like tomorrow? Write down or graph what the children predict? See if they are right!
Smell - RainbowPrintingPaper
Ask your children if they can SMELL the weather? Take your children outside for a walk to experience the smells in nature after different types of weather (suggestions for things to smell: tree bark, leaves, rain collecting in different areas, flowers, rocks, grasses, weeds, etc.) *Note: children with seasonal allergies should avoid smelling different weeds/flowers especially during the Spring* Discuss with your children different ways to describe what they smell. Have the children copy, stamp, or write a descriptive word (or words) onto the rainbow paper (linked above) after each of your walks.
Scented Word Suggestions:
| Bad | Good | Fruity |
| Stinky | Sweet | Woodsy |
| Yucky | Yummy | Perfumed |
| Earthy | Sharp | Musty |
| Spicy | Fresh | Sour |
Hearing - Weather Sounds
Set out different items that could be used to make the sounds that nature makes. Set out a cookie sheet, pots, utensils, &/or storage containers and have the children make thunder with their hands. Set out a pie tin and a cup with rice. Have the children pour the rice into the pie plate making rain sound. Have the children make sounds for each other. You might also have the children close their eyes while sounds are being made. What type of weather does it sound like? Make up some weather sounds of your own. You might also use shoes, paper towel tubes to blow through, beans for hail, etc.
Touch – Weather Sensory Bins (Clouds and Raindrops)
Materials needed: Moon Sand, small bowls, tweezers, clear or blue glass flower arranging stones, white pompoms or cotton balls.
Put 2-3 lbs. of Moon Sand or rice in the Sand Table (you can use a plastic drawer or bins on a regular table if desired.) Hide glass flower arranging stones and white pom-poms (fluffy clouds) in the sand. Set out two bowls with two tweezers. Have the children sort the Raindrops and Clouds into different bowls using the tweezers to pick them up. *Use different utensils to transfer the “raindrops and clouds” to bowls from the sensory bins (cups, spoons, tongs, etc.) to enhance fine motor skills.
Taste – Raindrop and Cloud Cups
Make a weather-themed snack with your kids. Have the children layer blueberries (raindrops) and clouds (whipped topping) in individual bowls for a fun and easy snack. Serve with graham crackers and milk for a tasty and nutritional snack!
For more Weather Ideas for the classroom or at home, please see the Spring Weather Unit at The Preschool Toolbox!
