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July 21, 2009 | 23 Comments

Magnetic Weather Station

weather activity for preschool

This was an instant hit. Even though he didn’t help me make it , it has been played with a ton. I think I may have a young Willard Scott on my hands. As a teacher I included checking the weather in my daily circle time, even with kids as young as 2 this sparks interest in science in a way that is relevant to their daily lives.

  1. Gather your materials. You will need a magnetic surface ( or cookie sheet), some magnetic letters, 4-5 sheets of foam, 4 magnets , a marker, scissors and glue.
  2. Start by drawing a sun, wind, cloud and a rain drop or umbrella on the foam. Had it been winter when we made this I’d add in snow.
  3. Add the magnets to the back with glue and let dry. Please remember if you are doing this with little ones that are still putting things in their mouths, use long flat magnets not ones that could be swallowed, or pose a chocking hazard. Adhesive magnetic sheets are a great option too.
  4. Add your signage, we only had one E, so a backwards 3 works in a pinch.
  5. Have your little meteorologist check the weather at the window
  6. And choose the appropriate magnet to put up.
Books!

” Weather”by Pamela Chanko and Daniel Moreton is the perfect little non fiction book about weather for toddlers and young preschoolers. It’s short and has big interesting photos depicting different weather. Don’t be fooled, it looks like nothing, but trust me little guys will ask you to read it again and again. It’s important that children get read a variety of things, not simply fiction, so don’t be afraid to get your child a simple little non fiction book like this one!
“What Will the Weather Be Like Today?” by Paul Rodgers is another wonderful weather book. It takes readers to all different environments from desserts to deep in the ocean and talks about the weather or lack of weather in each. I like the illustrations and the rhyming text, as well as the special section at the end of the book that uses photographs of children in different weather and asks the readers to answer questions about the photographs. Great teaching tool for preschoolers.

 

Filed Under: Age Preschool, Age: Toddlers, Preschool Crafts, Pretend Play, Science Experiments, Weather Books and Crafts | 23 Comments

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23 Comments

  1. The Activity Mom says

    July 22, 2009 at 4:56 am

    I love this! This is way more fun than the spinner that came in my calendar kit!

    to The Activity Mom" aria-label='reply to this comment to The Activity Mom'>reply to this comment
  2. Amanda says

    July 22, 2009 at 5:44 am

    We did this on our refrigerator a few months ago and Madison LOVES it!
    I also added "Today is …." with the days of the week magnets too.

    It's pretty funny when we are having a strange weather day and the rain and sun are constantly changing all day long, then Maddie is running back and forth to the magnets to switch from rain to sun!

    to Amanda" aria-label='reply to this comment to Amanda'>reply to this comment
  3. Teri says

    July 22, 2009 at 6:15 am

    We do the weather in both my 3 & 4 yr old classes & they LOVE it. I add in the element of a graph (filling in one block for the one type of weather each day) and those kids (even the 3s) never cease to amaze me with their bar-graph reading skills! They could tell me the most, the least, ties, who was "catching up" etc…it was awesome!

    to Teri" aria-label='reply to this comment to Teri'>reply to this comment
  4. Mrs. Lindblom says

    July 22, 2009 at 6:52 am

    Cute! Great idea!

    to Mrs. Lindblom" aria-label='reply to this comment to Mrs. Lindblom'>reply to this comment
  5. Lori says

    July 22, 2009 at 6:55 am

    My daughter is so fascinated by the weather. We checked it every day with little cards but this is much more visually stimulating. Thanks for sharing this, we will be making one of these!

    to Lori" aria-label='reply to this comment to Lori'>reply to this comment
    • marindon says

      July 3, 2014 at 10:07 am

      this idea is awesome! all of my kids love it! thanks Alison McDonald

      to marindon" aria-label='reply to this comment to marindon'>reply to this comment
  6. *~*Lis*~* says

    July 22, 2009 at 8:05 am

    ohhhhh Love this!!!

    to *~*Lis*~*" aria-label='reply to this comment to *~*Lis*~*'>reply to this comment
  7. Allie says

    July 22, 2009 at 8:15 am

    Yay I am so glad you guys like it and that so many kids are exploring weather.

    Teri- I have used drinking straws to count the sunny days, cloudy days etc… they are so light you can keep a pocket full of them tacked o the wall or in a pocket chart. I love using charts and graphs while teaching. I wish i could be a fly in the wall in your class!

    to Allie" aria-label='reply to this comment to Allie'>reply to this comment
  8. Beverly says

    July 22, 2009 at 10:33 am

    what a great idea to make your own. I have never really found good weather stuff so this would be great for us. thanks!

    to Beverly" aria-label='reply to this comment to Beverly'>reply to this comment
  9. Loukia says

    July 22, 2009 at 11:23 am

    This is a great activity – I'm going to try this with my boys! How fun! Thanks. You're full of such wonderful ideas all the time.

    to Loukia" aria-label='reply to this comment to Loukia'>reply to this comment
  10. kidletsmum says

    July 22, 2009 at 11:31 am

    Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs would be a fun book to use with the weather board as well!

    to kidletsmum" aria-label='reply to this comment to kidletsmum'>reply to this comment
  11. Katherine Marie! says

    July 22, 2009 at 11:56 am

    SUPER!!!!! You could seriously submit this to the local news— wouldn't they love to show Mr. Mini Meteorologist!!

    to Katherine Marie!" aria-label='reply to this comment to Katherine Marie!'>reply to this comment
  12. Desiree Fawn says

    July 22, 2009 at 7:38 pm

    So cool!
    I love this idea!!

    to Desiree Fawn" aria-label='reply to this comment to Desiree Fawn'>reply to this comment
  13. Bridget says

    July 22, 2009 at 7:42 pm

    The other option is to use the small magnet but use two foam sheets and seal the magnet in the middle with hot glue. The magnet will stick through the foam and it isn't accessible for curious hands.

    to Bridget" aria-label='reply to this comment to Bridget'>reply to this comment
  14. Kat says

    July 22, 2009 at 8:54 pm

    Super cute idea. I was always fascinated by the weather (still am) and I am sure our now 4 month old will grow up to be the same. Thanks for the idea!

    to Kat" aria-label='reply to this comment to Kat'>reply to this comment
  15. Kristina says

    January 26, 2010 at 4:53 pm

    we did this today with a few changes and it was a lot of fun! my little guy is still a little young for it, but we are still going to try checking the daily weather anyway. i taught weather to my severely autistic students using something similar to this and with the repetition (and especially the music) they loved it! thanks for sharing your idea,

    to Kristina" aria-label='reply to this comment to Kristina'>reply to this comment
  16. Carol Rudd says

    March 26, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    I love this weather station. It’s simple and has tons of clarity. Many times the weather is presented with too many visuals causing it to become visually confusing. This Weather Station is a really nice approach. Great work!
    Carol

    to Carol Rudd" aria-label='reply to this comment to Carol Rudd'>reply to this comment
    • Rebecca says

      January 19, 2018 at 1:13 pm

      I totally agree. Less is definitely more.

      to Rebecca" aria-label='reply to this comment to Rebecca'>reply to this comment
  17. Rebecca says

    January 19, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    LOVE this! By the way, the second book recommendation is a great choice. How do I know? Because I have used it for weather units also!!!!

    to Rebecca" aria-label='reply to this comment to Rebecca'>reply to this comment

Trackbacks

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    February 28, 2010 at 8:32 pm

    […] Create a weather station board or windsocks (via No Time for […]

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  2. Spring Weather Crafts for Kids | About Family Crafts says:
    April 11, 2013 at 1:25 pm

    […] 6 – Magnetic Weather Station – This is such a fun and easy idea shared at No Time for Flash Cards. Your kids will not […]

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  3. Weather Station and Weather Watching | Blog, She Wrote says:
    February 7, 2014 at 9:10 am

    […] Magnetic Weather Station- this one is great for preschoolers! Instead of writing they can pick out the symbols and record the daily weather with magnets. I think this might be nice way for J4 to participate in the daily routine of checking our weather station. […]

    to Weather Station and Weather Watching | Blog, She Wrote" aria-label='reply to this comment to Weather Station and Weather Watching | Blog, She Wrote'>reply to this comment
  4. 8 fun summer activities for toddlers | Parenta.com says:
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