Five Ways to Teach Your Kids about the Weather

There are many elements of the science curriculum that your kids will be expected to learn about at school over the coming years, but that doesn’t means that you can’t engage them in a subject at home too. Perhaps one of the most accessible topics is that of weather, as it is truly all around us.

If you are interested in teaching your children a bit more about the seasons, weather patterns and so on, there are a number of ways you can go about it. Here are just five suggestions which might be helpful for you as a parent:

Go on vacation

One of the most interactive ways to engage with the weather is to visit a country overseas where they experience a different climate. The United Kingdom is relatively mild throughout the year, so try and take your kids to places that are either warmer or cooler. You don’t even need to go any further away than Spain to show your children what difference a drier climate can do to the surroundings such as the plant life. The Alps could be the perfect option for demonstrating a mountain climate and the associated snowfall.

Watch television forecasts

Don’t worry if you don’t have enough cash to splash on a holiday as the television is a pretty good place to start. If there is a storm due to hit the country, why don’t you watch the satellite pictures with your kids so they can see how the weather system travels towards the UK, or wherever you live at the present moment? You can explain where the weather system started by pointing to certain places on a map.

Research online

Of course, the web is also excellent when it comes to research. The BBC and Pencil Street Ltd are favorites of many parents due to the easy to understand language and selection of resources. You can look into weather forecasts in more detail, what time the sun will rise and set, and even what the UV rating will be in the days ahead. If you are due to travel abroad, why not look at the average monthly temperatures together?

Head outdoors

Don’t forget about making the most of where you currently live. If it is raining, don’t be afraid to go outdoors - simply wrap yourself and your kids up in some waterproof items. Kids love splashing around in puddles, and despite the mess it does help them to interact with weather in a child-friendly way!

Set up experiments

Why don’t you start a chart of your own recording the local weather patterns? You could even set up some experiments to do this too! A bucket outside with a meter stick is a fun way to see how much rain has fallen over a certain period, and a wind (weather) vane will allow your kids to see which direction the wind is blowing. These are all ways you can add more data to your chart, which really allows your kids to develop a passion for the weather.