Multi Sensory Weather Lessons for Early Years
Weather is a captivating subject for young children, offering endless opportunities to explore the natural world. Through a multisensory approach, educators can create hands-on experiences that make abstract ideas like rain, wind, and sunshine more relatable and engaging. In this article, we explore how to teach weather using sensory play, structured activities, and exploratory learning, designed to inspire and excite early years learners.
Why Choose a Multisensory Approach to Teaching Weather?
Young children thrive when their senses are actively engaged. A multisensory approach not only enhances learning but also makes it enjoyable and accessible for children with varied learning styles. It helps to:
- Reinforce understanding through touch, sight, sound, movement, and smell.
- Spark curiosity about natural phenomena.
- Ensure lessons are inclusive and adaptable for diverse learners.
- Build foundational skills such as observation, problem-solving, and communication.
Weather is a particularly rich topic for this approach, as it offers direct sensory experiences that children encounter daily. Victoria Navin has a brilliant Weather Multi-sensory story for free download.
Key Learning Goals for Weather Lessons
To make weather lessons meaningful, educators can focus on three core aspects:
1. Identifying Weather Elements
Help children recognise and describe common weather conditions:
- Sunny: Warmth, light, and shadows.
- Rainy: Wetness, sounds of raindrops, and puddles.
- Windy: Movement of air, rustling leaves, and kite-flying.
- Snowy: Cold textures, crunch underfoot, and ice crystals.
- Cloudy: Diffused light, shapes in the sky, and grey tones.
2. Exploring Cause and Effect
Introduce basic concepts of how weather works:
- Rain forms when water droplets in clouds become heavy.
- Wind is air in motion, caused by temperature differences.
- The sun warms the earth, supports life, and helps plants grow.
3. Connecting Weather to Everyday Life
Teach children how weather impacts their daily routines and the environment:
- “Why do we wear coats on cold days?”
- “What happens to plants when it rains or when the sun shines?”
- “How does wind help spread seeds for new plants?”
Multisensory Weather Activities
Whilst the EYFS framework does not include specific science strands weather lends itself to covering areas of the framework. We have a post on Outdoor science activities for EYFS and SEN pupils.
1. Rainy Day Explorations
Sensory Play
- Rain Tray: Fill a shallow tray with water and offer tools like droppers, sponges, and containers. Children can explore the movement and sound of raindrops.
- Rain Bottles: Fill plastic bottles with water and small beads or sequins to mimic the sound of rainfall.
Structured Play
- Umbrella Obstacle Course: Create a pathway with “puddles” using blue mats or paper circles. Children can hop over them while holding umbrellas.
- Rain Painting: Draw on paper with water-soluble markers, then lightly spray with water to create a “rainy” effect. This could be a great weather focussed STEM provocation.
Learning Focus: Highlight how rain nourishes plants, fills rivers, and sustains life.
2. Sunshine and Shadows
Sensory Play
- Warmth Exploration: Provide objects like warm stones or rice socks alongside cool items like chilled bottles. Let children feel the temperature differences while discussing how the sun warms the earth.
- Sunshine Collages: Use materials in yellow and orange hues, like tissue paper, glitter, and felt, to create sun-themed artwork.
Structured Play
- Shadow Games: On a sunny day, children can trace their shadows on the ground or play shadow tag. Indoors, use a lamp to create shadows with toys.
- Sunshine Yoga: Incorporate movement by teaching poses such as “reaching for the sun” or “sun salutations.”
- Sensory Umbrella: Use a transparent umbrella to highlight how the sun (or a light source) changes the “sky”
Learning Focus: Explain how the sun gives us light and warmth, helping plants grow and regulating our daily routines.
3. Wind Adventures
Sensory Play
- Wind Tunnels: Use a fan to blow lightweight objects like feathers, scarves, or tissue paper. Let children experiment with how different items move.
- Blowing Bubbles: Head outdoors and watch how the wind carries bubbles, changing their speed and direction. You can make your own bubble blower very easily.
Structured Play
- Kite Flying: Make simple paper kites and explore how wind lifts and carries them.
- Wind Races: Using straws, children can blow lightweight balls or cotton wool across a table, mimicking the effects of wind.
Learning Focus: Discuss how wind moves clouds, spreads seeds for plants, and affects our environment. We have a full article on windy day activities.
4. Snow and Ice Discovery
Sensory Play
- Ice Play: Freeze small objects (e.g., leaves, plastic toys) inside ice cubes for children to melt and uncover.
- Snow Dough: Create sensory “snow” by mixing baking soda and shaving foam.
Structured Play
- Winter Role Play: Set up a pretend snowy day corner with scarves, gloves, and hats. Children can “shovel snow” with scoops or build model snow people.
- Frozen Nature Walk: Collect frosty leaves or ice from the playground and examine their patterns and textures.
Learning Focus: Explain how snow and ice form during very cold weather and their role in the natural world.
5. Cloudy Day Imagination
Sensory Play
- Shaving Cream Clouds: Use shaving cream and blue watercolours to create fluffy cloud textures. Children can explore mixing colours while discussing how clouds form.
- Cotton Ball Clouds: Provide cotton balls and glue for children to create their own cloud artwork.
Structured Play
- Cloud Spotting: Lie on the ground and look at cloud shapes, encouraging storytelling and creativity.
- Weather Science: Demonstrate how clouds hold water by filling a jar with water, adding shaving cream, and dropping coloured water until it “rains.”
Learning Focus: Teach how clouds hold water and eventually release it as rain.
Enhancing Learning Through Exploratory Play
Outdoor Exploration
Take advantage of the natural environment to explore weather first-hand:
- Feel the breeze on a windy day.
- Listen to the sound of raindrops or rustling leaves.
- Observe how sunlight changes the colours of objects or creates shadows.
Encourage children to record their observations through drawings or by collecting weather-related items like leaves or stones.
Music and Movement
Incorporate creative expression into weather lessons:
- Rainstick Rhythms: Make simple rainsticks using cardboard tubes filled with rice to mimic the sound of rain.
- Weather Songs: Sing familiar songs like Rain, Rain, Go Away or create new ones about the day’s weather. Weather Songs: Engaging Early Learners Through Music
- Movement Games: Encourage children to act out weather patterns—stomping like thunder, swaying like the wind, or tiptoeing like raindrops.
Storytelling and Books
Weather-themed stories help children connect emotionally with the topic. Some recommended books include:
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett.
- Raindrop, Plop! by Wendy Cheyette Lewison.
After reading, children can retell the stories through role play, drawing, or creating their own weather-inspired tales.
Supporting Inclusive Learning
Multisensory lessons naturally accommodate children with diverse needs, but additional adaptations can ensure inclusivity:
- Visual Aids: Use picture cards, visual schedules, or diagrams to support understanding.
- Adapted Materials: Offer larger sensory items for children with fine motor challenges or alternative tools for sensory sensitivities.
- Flexible Engagement: Allow children to participate at their own pace, whether by observing or actively engaging.
Extending Learning Beyond the Classroom
Encourage families to continue weather-themed exploration at home with simple ideas:
- Keep a weather diary to record daily conditions.
- Collect rainwater in jars to measure rainfall.
- Use scarves or ribbons to explore windy-day play.
By involving families, children can deepen their understanding and develop a lasting curiosity about the natural world.
Conclusion
Teaching weather through multisensory learning is not just about imparting knowledge; it’s about igniting a sense of wonder in young learners. By immersing children in hands-on experiences, we transform abstract concepts into lively adventures that they can feel, see, and explore.
Imagine the excitement in their eyes as they watch raindrops fall in a tray, or the joy of feeling the warmth of the sun on their skin during outdoor play. These moments of discovery not only deepen their understanding of the natural world but also foster essential skills like curiosity, critical thinking, and communication.
We have the incredible opportunity to shape how children experience their environment. With thoughtful planning and a dash of creativity, we can create weather lessons that inspire a lifelong love of learning and exploration. Let’s nurture their innate curiosity and watch as they grow into confident, inquisitive individuals ready to embrace the wonders of the world around them. Together, we can cultivate their passion for discovery, one weather phenomenon at a time.