The Weather

So, updating my blog has been on my ‘to do’ list for ages! It’s been weeks. I’ve been so busy – not actually doing anything, just making lists of things that I need to do.

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the theme of weather. First of all, we talked about the weather using pictures of extreme weather from around the world. We discussed what we already knew about the weather, what songs we know about the weather and which weather we liked and why.

Betty kept a weather diary to stick in her nature journal. We talked about the use of symbols and looked in Betty’s weather (non-fiction) book to find out more about relevant weather phenomena.

We read the story about the sun and the wind. Then, we sorted out a box of props into hot weather things and cold weather things. These were then left out for role play opportunities.

We used tissue paper to make rainbows. This didn’t work so well – there was tissue paper and glue everywhere and the kids didn’t like it sticking to their hands!

Finally, we watched some examples of weather forecasts and talked about why we have them and why they are useful. The children then had a go at presenting their own weather forecasts; the range of weather predicted across the UK was unlikely, to be honest.

Leaving it so long has meant that I’ve forgotten a lot of what we did. Oh well. At least I can cross it off my ‘to do’ list now.

EYFS Links:

Talking about weather using varied vocabulary, singing songs and rhymes and offering varied role play opportunities supports children’s communication and language development. Talking about why we need to wear warm clothing and practising putting on and taking off clothing supports physical development. Discussing what weather we like and what we don’t like and noticing how it affects and impacts on our daily life supports personal, social and emotional development. Reading books about weather and keeping a weather diary supports literacy skills. Making a rain gauge (although it didn’t rain on the day we made ours!) supports mathematical development. All of the activities help children’s understanding of the world. Using different craft materials aids creativity and role play supports imagination.