Weather: Theme Activities for the Classroom
Charting the weather is a fun and easy way for children to observe the world around them. Make it a part of your morning routine and track how many sunny, rainy, cloudy, and snowy days you have each month. Try these activities throughout the year:
- On a rainy day, track how much rain falls. Set a container outside to collect the rain. Have children predict how much rain will be collected. Measure a few times a day and see if your prediction was right.
- On a sunny day, make sun prints with your students. Gather a few objects of various shapes and sizes, such as leaves, feathers, paper clips, and small toys and arrange them on a piece of black or dark colored construction paper (you may need to tape them down). Set the paper in a sunny spot for several hours and then remove the objects. What happened to the paper?
- On a winter day, bring in snow-related objects and pictures, or real snow (if you have it!). Have children describe snow using all of their senses. What does it feel like? Look like? Can you hear it or smell it? Have you ever tasted snow?
- On a cloudy day, talk with your children about the different types of clouds and the weather changes they might bring. How do the clouds move? What happens when they cover the sun?