All Activities
Science

What is the Weather Today?

Overview

Each day, children go outside and observe the weather, recording what they notice on a simple class chart.

Learning Objective
Children observe and record daily weather patterns, developing simple data collection skills.

Resources needed

  • Simple weather chart drawn on paper or ground
  • Symbols for sun, cloud, rain, wind

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Go outside briefly each morning.
  2. 2 Ask: is it sunny, cloudy, rainy, or windy today?
  3. 3 Children observe and agree on the main weather type.
  4. 4 One child adds a symbol to the class chart.
  5. 5 At the end of the week, look at the chart together.
  6. 6 Ask: what was the most common weather this week?
  7. 7 Ask: does the weather follow a pattern? Does it change every day?

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Record temperature by feel: cold, warm, hot.
  • Add a simple wind test: hold up a ribbon and observe movement.
  • Compare weather across two weeks.
More information

Teach: sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, warm, cold, weather, observe, record. Visual symbols on the chart support children who are not yet reading.

Reduce to two weather categories — sunny and not sunny — for very young children.

Can children use the correct weather word to describe today's conditions? Can they read the chart and identify the most common weather of the week?

Draw the chart in soil or on bark. Use simple pictures as symbols. No printed materials needed.

Children sometimes think weather is random and unpredictable. Seasonal patterns introduce the idea that weather follows broader rules.

Daily weather observation develops scientific habits of mind — regular, systematic observation and simple data recording. These are the foundations of all empirical science.

Activity details
Early Years Easy 10 minutes daily over 1 week 5 minutes prep Whole Class Outdoor
Topics
Weather Observation Data Collection