Inclusive Windy Day Activities For EYFS and SEN
Don’t let the wind keep your children inside. If you are wondering what to do on a windy day turn it into an opportunity for outdoor learning fun with these 19 windy day activities. These projects will have all your students laughing and learning outdoors even on blustery autumn days. From science experiments exploring wind power to creative arts and crafts that incorporate the wind theme, this list offers engaging indoor activity ideas suited for any age primary pupils. These activities are sure to keep your students entertained and learning on a windy day. I have tried to add any adaptations needed to make these windy day activities more inclusive.
Fly a Kite
Learning Outcome: Develops gross motor skills and understanding of the natural world.
Resources: Kite and outdoor space.
How To: On windy days, have children run while holding onto kite strings to get the kites flying high. Try different shaped kites and observe how they move. Use extendable poles rather than string to fly the kite. This makes the activity more inclusive
Play with Bubbles
Learning Outcome: Promotes curiosity and problem-solving.
Resources: Bubble wands and bubble solution.
How To: Go outside on a windy day and have children blow bubbles, watching them float and blow in the wind. Talk about what happens. What happens if you blow into/with the wind? Do you need to blow?
Fun Outdoor Photo Shoot
Learning Outcome: Encourages creativity and self-expression.
Resources: Camera, props like leaves or flowers.
How To: Take photos of children outdoors with wind-blowing props like leaves and petals around them. Let them pose and be creative.
Balloon Catch
Learning Outcome: Develops hand-eye coordination and movement.
Resources: Balloons.
How To: Toss balloons back and forth and see how long you can keep them in the air as the wind blows them around.
Strongest Tower: Storm Damage
Learning Outcome: Listening skills, self-regulation, Fine motor skills, team work
Resources: Junk modelling resources
How To: The children have to stack cardboard or other light boxes and tubes. Either compete to build the tallest or the tower that lasts the longest. Question about wind direction, aerodynamics even.
Windmill Craft
Learning Outcome: Understanding cause and effect relationships.
Resources: Paper, pin, straws.
How To: Make paper windmills and observe how fast they spin in the wind. Make High contrast windmills for pupils with VI needs. For Lego fans you could set the task to make a lego wind turbine.
Parachute Play
Learning Outcome: Develop social skills and self-confidence.
Resources: Parachute or sheet.
How To: Work together to make the parachute billow up and down in the wind. Run under it together. A fully inclusive activity
Paper Aeroplane Contest
Learning Outcome: Problem-solving, trial and error.
Resources: Paper.
How To: Make paper aeroplanes and see whose flies farthest. Experiment with different folds.
Outdoor Pirate Ship Race
Learning Outcome: Promotes fine motor skills, numeracy and STEM link.
Resources: Materials for boats.
How To: Make mini pirate ships with sails, put the tuff tray outside, fill it with water and race your mini pirate ships, Attach strings so less ambulant children can release the ships.
Flag Relay Race
Learning Outcome: Develops coordination and movement skills.
Resources: Small flags, cones.
How To: Take turns running holding flags attached to short poles with just one or two clothes pegs, see who can run the furthest without theirs falling. Can easily be attached to wheelchairs or pegged to T-shirts or coats as a “cape”.
Wind Walk
Learning Outcome: Explores senses and makes observations.
Resources: None.
How To: Take a walk on a windy day feeling the wind, talking about how it feels on your face, hair, arms etc.
Simon Says Wind Edition
Learning Outcome: Listening skills, understanding concepts like wind.
Resources: None.
How To: Take turns being “Simon” and giving wind-related commands like “Fly like a kite” or “Blow like the wind”.
Read Wind Stories Outside
Learning Outcome: Develops listening skill.
Resources: Wind-themed children’s books.
How To: Read stories about wind and kites outdoors on a windy day for a really immersive storytelling experience. Even better if you bring props or a story sack. You may like our Autumn Forest sensory story.
Wind Crafts
Learning Outcome: Creativity, fine motor skills.
Resources: Art supplies like paper, markers, streamers.
How To: Provide supplies for children to make windsock crafts, wind paintings by blowing paint through straws, paper bag kites.
Outdoor Ball Games
Learning Outcome: Social skills, movement.
Resources: Beach ball, balloons.
How To: Play volleyball or keep a beach ball/balloon up in the air together on a windy day.
Picnic Games
Learning Outcome: Social development, fine motor skills.
Resources: Outdoor toys, games, blankets.
How To: Have a picnic outside. Thats all. Talk about feeling the wind.
Washing Line Immersive Sensory Experience
Learning Outcome: Language and literacy, creativity.
Resources: Books, blankets.
How To: Attach motivating sensory items to a washing line strung across your outdoor area. These could include scarves, flags, spinners etc. The children then sit or lie under them as they move with the breeze.
Windy Day Scavenger Hunt
Learning Outcome: Problem-solving, vocabulary.
10 items to include in a windy day scavenger hunt:
- Feather
- Leaf
- Dandelion
- Pinecone
- Cotton balls
- Tissue
- Kite
- Windsock
- Paper aeroplane
- Bubble wand
Learning Outcome:Promotes observation skills and understanding of wind
Resources Needed:
- List of 10 scavenger hunt items
- Basket or bag for collecting items
How to Play: Provide children with list of 10 wind-related items to find, either pictures or words depending on age. Go outside together on a windy day and have them search for the items, either natural or man-made. Bring a basket or bag for collecting any natural items they find like feathers, leaves, etc. Encourage them to notice how the wind interacts with each item, which blows the furthest and why? At the end, review all the items they spotted and what they learned about wind.
Children’s Books To Read on Windy Days
There is no shortage of books about windy days that make a perfect accompaniment to the windy day games and activities.
Shark in the park on a windy day.
Another entry in the ever popular Shark in the park series. Lots of opportunities for joining in and repetition. Buy Here.
The Windy Day
A young girl goes on a kite-flying windy day adventure and gets help from a friendly wolf named Courage to scare away mischievous goblins. Buy Here.
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