By Audrey HayesUpdated November 2026
Activities about weather for preschool help young children notice what the sky is doing, name what they see, and start to connect daily conditions with clothing, plants, and play. With a few household materials and about 15 to 20 minutes a day, you can build a weekly routine that covers rain, wind, sun, and temperature. This guide walks through a simple setup, a set of hands-on activities, and a daily check-in routine you can repeat all season.
Set Up a Daily Weather Station
A daily weather station gives your child a fixed place to observe and record conditions. Choose a window spot where your child can see the sky, and keep the materials there so the routine becomes automatic. Many preschool teachers use a single picture chart for this, and you can do the same.
Shopping for one? See our guide: Preschool All About Me Activities: 5 Best Picks Compared (2026).
- Draw or print five large weather symbols: sun, cloud, rain, snow, and wind.
- Tape a simple paper thermometer or use a child-safe outdoor thermometer hung at your child’s eye level.
- Each morning, ask, “What is the sky doing today?” and have your child point to or stick a magnet on the matching symbol.
- Record the temperature by moving a paper arrow to the number or color band it matches.
Keep the chart to about five minutes of talking and pointing. Short, daily repetition builds vocabulary faster than one long lesson each week.
Hands-On Weather Activities to Try
Once the daily routine is in place, add one or two hands-on activities each week. These work well because they turn abstract ideas like evaporation and condensation into things children can see and touch.
Rain in a Jar
Fill a clear jar about three-quarters full with water. Add a squirt of shaving cream as a cloud and drip a few drops of blue food coloring onto the top. Let your child watch the drops sink as the “rain” falls, and explain that water in clouds falls when the drops get heavy.
Cloud in a Bag
Place a few ice cubes in a zip-top bag, add a little warm water, and seal the bag. Ask your child to predict what will happen, then hold the bag up to a window where light can reach it. Condensation forms on the outside of the bag and gives a simple picture of how water vapor cools and gathers.
Wind Streamers
Tape strips of crepe paper or ribbon to a stick, then take them outside on a breezy day. Children can see how the streamers lift and flutter, and you can talk about how moving air pushes things. Repeat on a calm day so they can compare.
Sun Print Art
Place leaves, small toys, or cut paper shapes on construction paper in a sunny spot. Leave them for a few hours, then remove the objects to reveal the lighter outline underneath. Talk about how the sun changes the color of paper, and why we wear sunscreen or hats.
Materials Checklist
- Clear jar, water, shaving cream, and blue food coloring
- Zip-top bag, ice cubes, and warm water
- Crepe paper or ribbon, and a lightweight stick
- Construction paper, and leaves or cut shapes
- Paper or printed weather symbols and a simple thermometer
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Trying too many activities in one week. Two activities plus the daily chart is enough for most preschoolers.
- Skipping the prediction step. Asking “What do you think will happen?” keeps children thinking, not just watching.
- Using only sunny-day activities. Plan at least one activity for wind or rain so children see a range of conditions.
- Letting children handle thermometers or chemicals unsupervised. Keep glass and food coloring under adult watch.
- Expecting full accuracy. Preschoolers learn best from describing what they see, not from getting perfect readings.
Recommended Gear
A child-safe outdoor thermometer makes the daily temperature check easy for small hands to read, and you can hang it at your child’s height. A clear, wide-mouth glass jar is useful for rain-in-a-jar and sink-or-float experiments. Crepe paper streamers in several colors give children a bright, easy way to watch wind direction.
FAQ
How long should a weather activity last for preschoolers?
Most preschoolers stay engaged for 10 to 20 minutes. Keep the daily chart brief and save longer experiments for when your child asks for more.
Do I need special equipment to start?
No. A window, paper, markers, and a few kitchen items cover most activities. A simple thermometer is the only item many families add.
How can I connect these activities to what my child already knows?
Ask your child to compare today’s weather with yesterday’s, or to name what they would wear. You can also read a weather book at bedtime to reinforce new words. For more ideas, see Preschool Activities About Plants: 12 Easy Ideas With Steps for plant-based observation projects that tie into seasonal change.
Conclusion
Activities about weather for preschool work best when they are short, repeated, and tied to what children see outside every day. Start with the daily weather station, add one hands-on experiment each week, and let your child predict, observe, and describe. Over a season, these small routines build vocabulary, curiosity, and a real understanding of how weather works.
Related reading
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About Audrey Hayes
Audrey Hayes is part of our editorial team and reviews and edits our early learning at home guides, checking product details against manufacturer specifications and owner feedback.
