Pull on a mac, put up your brolly and sound the foghorn as Wendy Bowkett sets out some excellent weather activities for preschoolers.
Thick fog occurs so rarely in our town. On one particularly foggy morning we wanted as many children as possible to experience how it changes our perceptions of space.
We put on coats, gloves, hats and scarves and walked around our familiar garden space.
What a strange feeling to not see things we knew were there – the picnic bench, flower beds or even the playhouse – and then suddenly come across them, even though we knew they were there all the time!
Some of the children found the experience quite disconcerting. This added to our conversations on returning indoors, especially how weather can affect our bodies, feelings and emotions.
One of the first indoor weather activities for preschoolers, suggested by a colleague, was to make some cardboard cut-outs of the front of a car. This featured headlights and an open windscreen.
Each outline had handles at both sides of the car for children to hold. The cars were big enough for a child to ‘sit’ behind and look through the windscreen.
All the cars were painted and numbered. On the windscreens we placed different ‘windows’ – one each of Perspex, tracing paper, tissue paper and grease-proof paper.
All had varying degrees of visibility when looked through. The idea was for children to experience how what we see affects our behaviour.
‘Driving’ across a cleared space in a room looking through a Perspex windscreen is very different to looking through grease-proof paper. Place a chair in the pathway and manoeuvring becomes much more difficult!
When the fog had cleared, these cars were in continual use in the garden too. The children loved the idea of being in the driving seat and steering their way around.
We drew roadways on the tarmac and made traffic lights with the inners from carpet rolls. We also made a zebra crossing with Belisha beacons (orange balloons on top of tubes).
Soon children were devising obstacle courses and using ‘foggy’ goggles. (These are made like colour lenses glasses but with different papers similar to the car windscreens).
Children who often rushed around the playground actually found fun in taking their time completing the course without knocking anything over or bumping into obstacles in their path.
We talked about the dangers and hazards of being at sea as well as land. We chatted about the use of foghorns and listened to music with ear muffs on to try to emulate the muffled sounds in fog.
Using icing sugar or white paint sprinkled or splattered onto vehicle templates on black paper also made an unusual foggy day picture display.
The lifting of the fog when it came certainly didn’t mean the end of exploration of the elements. The conservatory area at our nursery was very popular on rainy days.
Listening to the sound of rain on the glass roof always inspired us to sing ‘It’s Raining, It’s Pouring’ and ‘Doctor Foster’ among others.
‘Incy Wincy Spider’ and related activities could be an article in itself, but singing ‘Pitter Patter Raindrops’ while dropping water from a pipette onto paper or Perspex adds another dimension to circle time.
Why not try it with paint on paper for a different painted effect? (Ensure there is plenty of protective covering underneath the paper; preschoolers are not renowned for their aim!)
Windy days seem to bring out the boisterousness in me. I’m full of energy, hopping about, ready to get started – and it’s usually the same with the children too!
To get started, talk about running in the wind. Which parts of you get cold? How can you stay warm? Is it best when the wind is behind or against you? Can you lean against the wind without falling over?
To go with their excess energy, children seem noisier on windier days too. They often need to shout in the wind to make themselves heard. Chat with them about why this might be.
It is, however, also an ideal opportunity to spend some time sitting quietly in your outdoor space listening to the sounds the wind or breeze makes.
Many children fear thunderstorms. Although they have happened rarely when I’ve been at work in a preschool setting, it can be very demanding on staff to comfort frightened children.
Thunder and lightning are difficult concepts for under-fives to grasp. However, thunderstorms can be an ideal opportunity for practising counting skills by measuring the time between the flash of light and the clap of thunder.
Playing related games can help detract from the real thing, especially if they’re played regularly as part of ordinary activities.
When we first chatted about our weather, the children mentioned rain and sun, while parents mentioned cloudy days, hail and frosts as well.
There are so many facets to our weather that a preschool setting is unlikely to cover all of them in one theme.
Snow and frost are obvious choices, especially at Christmas time and at the beginning of a new year. When we haven’t had any snow, we have resorted to using polystyrene chips in a play corner to enhance weather, climate or holiday topics.
Sunny days are introduced to under-fives usually preceding summer holidays, although with many of our under-fives jetting off to warmer climes throughout the year, this can be a continuous theme.
Wendy Bowkett is an author and ran her own private day nursery for 15 years.
