Kids and Weather

     Kids and weather. What a great educational moment. Grab a raincoat and rubber boots and head out to the biggest puddle the boots can handle. Find small pieces of wood and float them in the small streams that flow into the puddles. This can bring up a lively discussion of geography and the way ships and small boats must travel together in rivers and into the larger bodies of water such as the ocean.

Sunny weather and springtime always makes me want to be outside and what a more splendid way of teaching science to a young child than to help them with their own garden. Help them plant lettuce, carrots or peas from seeds and check the regularly to see if the seeds have germinated and started to grow up through the soil. How excited children get when they see the small shoots beginning to rise upwards. Be sure to teach them to water the plants gently and regularly for the best growth.  Look up on the Internet the rapid growth of a seed and then keep a small lab book on the actual progress of the plants. Turn the science lesson into a health lesson when the plants have grown large enough to use in a salad for lunch or a snack. The once picky eater may become a fan of freshly grown peas, carrots and lettuce.




     Some weather can be dangerous. Hurricane and tornadoes are a frightening yet amazing piece of weather. If you are not in a climate in which these frequent then use this opportunity to practice safety skills other children might use that live in those areas. You might also put together experiments to visualize and get a more thorough understanding of what is happening during those storms. One of my favorite experiments was called ‘Tornado in a Bottle’. You can find that experiment on http://www.weatherwizkids.com .

     Snow, Snow, SNOW! On those rare days in Washington State when we actually have snow, take a few liberties to enjoy the classroom of the outdoors. Scoop up bowls of snow and take some into the house to measure. Snow is made of water vapor that freezes while in the air. When it falls on the ground it is simply called snow and the layers of snow on the ground are a mixture of air and ice. The amount of air in a snowflake make up its volume. So try dishing up a cup of snow, a cup of ice and a cup of water. Wait. Soon the snow will melt, a little longer and the ice will melt; then compare the difference between ice, snow and water. How much water will one cup of snow make? How much water will one cup of ice make?

     So instead of groaning at the sight of more rain, or more snow; grab the right attire and dive into an adventure of the moment and see how much fun and learning you can create.

http://astro.uchicago.edu/cara/southpole.edu/flaky.html

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-tornado-bottle.htm

http://gohsep.la.gov/factsheets/whattodoinatornado.htm

http://www.weather.com/outlook/wxready/articles/id-38