We started with some weather art. I gave the kids some cardstock die punched clouds (I still have an ancient Sizzix machine). Then I let them add a sunshine to it.
They got to pretend to be wind. I have them each a straw and cotton ball to blow across the floor. They loved this!
We made a rain stick.
Start with a sheet of aluminum foil about 3 times the length of your cardboard tube. Crinkle it into a skinny piece and spiral it. You want the aluminum foil spiral to be the same length as your cardboard tube. Carefully insert spiral length into your tube. Place filler inside, we chose between rice, dried lentils, and popcorn. The rice was quieter. We liked the popcorn and lentil sounds the best. Cut a construction paper circle slightly larger than the top of your cardboard tube. Cut small slits around the edges of the circle. This helps you glue it around the top with less bumps and mess. Glue lid on, and let kids decorate however they choose. Enjoy the rain!
We also made these cute suns, but alas, I have no photos.
(also found at Preschool Education-Weather).
Sun Rainbow Sun Catcher Need: 2 CD's (you
can get them free almost everywhere these days), yellow and orange triangles,
glue, string or yarn. Directions: Have the children glue yellow and orange
triangles on the colored printed side (not the shiny side) of one of the CD's
in the pattern of yellow/ orange/ yellow/ orange/ yellow/ orange. The triangle
should hang off the edge of the CD. Then glue the other CD, shiny side up onto
the other CD. Put a sting or yarn through the middle and hang up in the
room. Hopefully you have a room with windows and sun. As the sun
shines on the CD's it reflects a rainbow. Or have the children take them
home to hang in a sunny place. This very simple activity was done with 3 yr.
olds to help teach patterning and about rainbows and sunlight. They loved the
end result.
We also attempted to make rainbow density bottles. We did this as a science experiment for Miss B. that same year. Thankfully her's turned out much better. We had dawn dish soap, colored water, colored rubbing alcohol, vegetable oil, colored vinegar, and such. The kids helped me layer them in. Sadly they did not separate by density as well as I hoped. They still looked good. But I let the kids shake them up, and they did not separate again, and they looked like a brown muddy mess. But I'm sharing my failures with you too, because we all have them, and the kids usually don't mind.
We made some rain cloud art too. I found this idea and other great ones at Preschool Education). I gave the kids some free handed white clouds I made and let them paint them grey. Then we glued Christmas tinsel onto them to be the rain coming down. This photo does not do them justice. They were very cute little window decorations.
Some fun weather songs and poems we did were:
Rain,
Rain Go Away
Rain, rain go away
Come again another day.
Little "name" wants to play
Rain, rain go away.
and
Beautiful
Rainbow Came
One day the sun was shining bright (hold up right hand like
blocking sunlight)
But some clouds came along and it became black as night (Hold up left hand for
the clouds)
Then the rain began to sprinkle onto the ground (wiggle fingers for the rain
coming down)
And soon it was raining all over the town.
But when the clouds had passed on by (move both hands to one side)
A big beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky (make a rainbow arc with your
hands)
And my other failure of weather week.... I attempted to make Rainbow Jell-o like I did for St. Patrick's Day, but apparently I did not leave enough time between layers, and ended up with more of a stained glass jell-o look. We added some marshmallow and whipped cream clouds. It looked like such a mess, but the kids really didn't mind. :)
Some Blue's Clues episodes I found that teach about weather are:
Season 2 episode 12: What does Blue want to do on a rainy day?
and Season 3 episode 27: Storms
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