Playing Preschool - Unit 12: Weather

A Companion Guide to Busy Toddler's Playing Preschool Curriculum

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How's the Weather?

Weather is something we all experience but very differently, depending on the climate where you live. We live in the South and happened to be doing this unit during February when the weather was all over the map. One day it was beautiful and warm and the next day we had severe weather and tornado warnings. Then it was cold and windy for a few days, followed by rain, then back to mild and sunny. Suffice it to say, my toddler and I had a lot to talk about! I really liked how this unit brought weather, which is usually happening in the background of our day, to the forefront to show the effect it has on our lives, from what we wear that day to what activities we participate in.

Building Background Knowledge

Video Links

• How’s the Weather?

• What’s the Weather Like Today?

• Rain Rain Go Away

• Can You Imagine That? - Meteorologist

Suggested Books

*Books with an asterisk are my Top 5 Picks to Add to Your Home Library for this unit

• All About Weather - Harajli, Huda

• Shapes in the Sky - Sherman, Josepha

• In The Rain (In the Weather) - Spurr, Elizabeth

• Hello, World! Weather - McDonald, Jill

• Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring - Pak, Kenard

• A Rainbow of My Own* - Freeman, Don

Additional Book List

Books in bold are also suggested books in another unit.

Non-Fiction

• National Geographic Readers: Weather - Rattini, Kristin Baird

• Weather Words (and What They Mean) - Gibbons, Gail

• What Will the Weather Be Like Today? - Rogers, Paul

• Maisy's Wonderful Weather Book* - Cousins, Lucy

• What Will the Weather Be? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out) - DeWitt, Lynda

• Oh Say Can You Say What’s the Weather Today? (Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library) - Rabe, Tish

• Gusts and Gales: A Book about Wind - Sherman, Josepha

• Sunshine: A Book about Sunlight- Sherman, Josepha

• Flakes and Flurries: A Book about Snow- Sherman, Josepha

• In The Wind (In the Weather) - Spurr, Elizabeth

• How Does the Wind Blow? - Lowery, Lawrence F.

• Clouds (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out) - Rockwell, Anne (diverse characters)

• The Cloud Book - Tomie dePaola

• Little Cloud - Carle, Eric

• The Drop Goes Plop: A First Look at the Water Cycle - Godwin, Sam

• It’s Raining - Gibbons, Gail

• Tornadoes! - Gibbons, Gail

• Hurricanes! - Gibbons, Gail

• The Reasons for the Seasons - Gibbons, Gail

• A Raindrop’s Journey - Suzanne, Slade

• Little Raindrop - IglooBooks

• Little Snowflake - IglooBooks

• Let it Rain! - Cocca-Leffler, Maryann

• Let it Shine! - Cocca-Leffler, Maryann

• Let it Snow! - Cocca-Leffler, Maryann

• Jonas Hanway's Scurrilous, Scandalous, Shockingly Sensational Umbrella - Crute, Josh --> The true story of the invention of the umbrella

• Do I Have to Wear a Coat? - Isadora, Rachel

• Weather/El Tiempo - Beaton, Clare (bilingual English-Spanish)

Fiction

• Goodnight, Little Blue Truck* - Schertle, Alice --> Little Blue Truck and friends ride out a thunderstorm together. Read my full review here.

• Kite Day - Hillenbrand, Will

• The Wind Blew - Hutchins, Pat

• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - Barrett, Judi

• Rain! - Ashman, Lina (diverse characters)

• Sometimes, Rain - Fleming, Meg

• Raindrop Plop - Lewison, Wendy Cheyette

• Worm Weather - Taft, Jean

• Boom! Big Big Thunder and One Small Dog - Ray, Mary Lyn

• Tap Tap Boom Boom - Bluemle, Elizabeth

• Pitter Pattern - Hesselberth, Joyce

• How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow - Sweeney, Monica

• What Makes a Rainbow? Magic Ribbon Book - Schwartz, Betty Ann

• The Snowy Day* - Keats, Ezra Jack (diverse characters)

• Over and Under the Snow - Messner, Kate

• Three Snow Bears - Brett, Jan (diverse characters)

• Small Walt - Verdick, Elizabeth

• Katy and the Big Snow - Burton, Virginia Lee

• Hurricane - Wiesner, David

Additional Resources/Activities

Educational Games and Toys

• PlanToys Weather Dress-Up

• Bigjigs Toys Weather Balancing Game

• Melissa & Doug Seasons Floor Puzzle - 4 Puzzles, 12 Jumbo Pieces

• Crocodile Creek Four Seasons Early Learning Puzzle (24 Piece)

• Little Tikes Stem Jr. Tornado Tower Toy

• My First Colorforms Miss Weather Set

• Chalk and Chuckles Season Wise Game

• Melissa and Doug Diamond Kite

• Melissa and Doug Umbrella

Activities

• Developing Life Skills: Take a look at the weather forecast for the day and let your child help you pick out something suitable to wear. Don't forget to include accessories like rain boots or scarves for when its time to leave the house!

• Field Trip: Find a children's museum with a "seasons" or "weather" exhibit. We went to one that had a news room where the kids give the weather forecast and a refrigerated igloo to experience the cold.

• Role Play: After viewing Can You Imagine That? Meteorologist video, make a poster of the weather for the week (or the next day) and talk about weather words to use. Ask your child to pretend to be the weatherman/woman and record a video on your smart phone of them giving the forecast! Definitely one for the archives.

• Imaginative Play: Whisk up some fake snow using equal parts baking soda and shaving cream. Then set up a scene with trains, cars, houses, trees, animals, etc. and sprinkle them with "snow." Pro tip: use an unscented shaving cream. I bought the cheapest stuff they had and the smell was so strong we had to move outside!

• STEM Activity: After reading Tornadoes! make your own Tornado in a Bottle from Gift of Curiosity. You'll need one of these bottle connectors.

• Art Activity: Rain Cloud Gravity Painting from A Little Pinch of Perfect

• Gross Motor Skills: Clouds and Wind Balloon Toddler Activity from Mama of Littles

• Sensory Activity: Ice Table Sensory Bin from Busy Toddler

• Science Experiment: Water Cycle in a Bag from Playdough to Plato

• Easy Craft: Bubble Wrap Rain Umbrella from 123Homeschool4ME

• Letter Review: On a sheet tray, spray a small “cloud” of shaving cream. Draw a letter with your finger and have your child guess. To get them involved in the sensation, hold their hand and use their pointer finger to write the letter. A fun way to review the letters you've learned so far!

Scaffolding/Extension

• Extension: Collect data like a scientist. Create a chart and track precipitation. Make a rain gauge and enter data every day.

• Extension: During hurricane season, track the movement of tropical depressions as they move and intensify using coordinates on a map.

What was your favorite part of this unit? What other books did you read? What other activities did you do? Please share your photos and feedback in the Playing Preschool with Busy Toddler Curriculum Facebook Group in Photos/Albums/Year 1 Themes → Weather

Until next time, may your coffee be warm and your toddler be busy!

Up Next: Playing Preschool: Unit 13 - Eggs

See Also: Introduction to Playing Preschool with Busy Toddler, A Companion Guide to Busy Toddler's Playing Preschool Curriculum, Unit 1: Apples, Unit 2: Colors, Unit 3: Nursery Rhymes, Unit 4: Clothing, Unit 5: Food, Unit 6: Five Senses, Unit 7: Teddy Bears, Unit 8: Things That Go Together, Unit 9: Community Helpers, Unit 10: Transportation, Unit 11: On the Farm