Engaging Ideas for Teaching Types of Weather for Kids

You’ll love these ideas for teaching types of weather for kids. From sunshine to storms and everything in between, don’t miss these resources.

Each one of the weather activities featured below will help you introduce or reinforce what you’ve already taught about different types of weather. Discover videos, books, and other resources that will help you supplement the lessons in your weather preschool unit study.

There are so many topics you can teach in a weather unit. Starting with the water cycle and clouds and moving on to the different types of weather phenomena.

Teaching Types of Weather for Kids

Kids will enjoy making homemade weather-tracking devices to become backyard meteorologists. I’ve rounded up book lists, unit studies, printables, and hands-on activities to get you started or to supplement what you already have.

Water Cycle for Preschoolers

• The Water Cycle – Text and photographs describe the stages of the water cycle.

• The Water Cycle – Explains the stages of the water cycle and how the water cycle impacts the earth’s water supply. Includes an activity.

• Water, Water Everywhere – Explains the cycle of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation that provides fresh water to the earth and describes how this supply is brought to people’s homes.

Print out a water cycle wheel that will help your preschoolers visualize each step in the water cycle. E is for Explore

These water cycle activities provide some great hands-on ways to introduce the water cycle to preschoolers. The Pinay Homeschooler

Kids can use an old plastic food container to create their very own mini water cycle. Laura Candler’s Teaching Resources

Cloud Activities for Preschoolers

• Clouds – Do you ever wake up and wonder what the weather will be? Instead of turning on the TV to find out, you can just look out your window at the clouds. How do you know what type of clouds can forecast a change of weather?

• The Cloud Book– Simple, whimsical illustrations show the variations in shape and color that herald changes in the weather.

• Shapes in the Sky – Clouds come in all sorts of types, including cumulus, cumulonimbus, stratus, and cirrus. Learn how to tell each cloud type apart.

• Little Cloud – Little Cloud likes to stand out from the crowd. When all the other clouds drift up, he goes his own way, changing shapes to become a sheep, an airplane, a shark and a funny clown. It’s all lots of fun, but so is playing with friends.

Making a rain cloud in a jar is a great way to explore weather with your preschoolers and young learners. They’ll see up close how clouds make rain. Homeschool Preschool

After teaching your preschoolers about the different types of clouds, you should give this cloud cake project a try. It’s sure to make a tasty afternoon snack. The Pioneer Woman

Rain Activities for Preschoolers

• Down Comes the Rain – Read this book to find out all the ups and downpours of the water cycle!

• The Storm Book– This beautifully crafted story is perfect to pull out and enjoy on rainy days and for classroom discussions on weather patterns.

• Just a Thunderstorm – During a big thunderstorm, Mom and Dad find lots of ways to comfort Little Critter and his sister. Mom makes a fun dinner and Dad lights the candles as they both share their wisdom about thunder, lightning—and rainbows!

Your kids will love watching the results of this hands-on water cycle project when they make it rain in a jar. I Can Teach My Child

Spend some time outdoors the next time it rains. Your kids can have a backyard rainy day nature study. Learning Table

You won’t believe how easy it is to turn an empty plastic bottle into a homemade rain gauge. Kids will love collecting rain in it. The Imagination Tree

Teaching Preschoolers About Tornadoes

• Otis and the Tornado – Otis and all his farm friends are enjoying a summer’s day, but the bull has no interest in playing and stays in his pen. Suddenly the day turns frightening and stormy: it’s a tornado!

• Do Tornadoes Really Twist? – Kids want to know more about tornadoes and hurricanes, both to satisfy their curiosity and to ease their fears. This book explains everything about these storms, from how hurricanes get their names to what a tornado looks like from a distance.

• Tornadoes! – Using her praised combination of clear text and detailed illustrations, Gail Gibbons shares tornado facts. . . . including how tornadoes form, the scale used for classifying them, and the safest places to go in case one should happen near you.

Becoming a Backyard Weatherman

• Freddy the Forecaster – Freddy the Frog loves learning about the weather, and he’s known for having the best predictions in town. But what happens when the town picnic is almost ruined by a storm that catches the local frogcaster by surprise?

• The Kids’ Book of Weather Forecasting – With experiments, observations and activities children ages seven to thirteen will learn to predict the weather by understanding the science behind it.

• Weather Forecasting – This fun and educational picture book describes forecasters at work in a weather station as they track and gauge the constant changes in the weather.

Preschoolers can track the weather with this weather printable for preschoolers. Learn Create Love

Print out this weather wheel and recording sheet, and let your kids check and record the weather each morning. Adventure in a Box

More Activities to Teach Weather

• Weather Match Printable for Preschoolers – Learn Create Love

• Free Printable “My Weather Book” – Fun in First Grade

• Weather Theme Activities and Printables for Preschoolers – PreKinder

• Free Weather Unit for Kids Ages 3-9 – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Weather Books

Fill your book basket with a great collection of weather books for kids. Most of these books can be found at your local library or used bookstore.

If you have a hard time finding them, you can order them through my Amazon affiliate links by clicking the images below.

The Meteorologist in Me – The Meteorologist In Me is an inspirational tale about a little girl named Summer with a big dream- to become a TV Meteorologist. She loves sharing weather facts with her family and friends and wonders why everyone laughs at the thought of her on T.V.

The Everything Kids’ Weather Book – Have you ever wondered what happens in the eye of a tornado or how hurricanes gain their strength? From lightning and snow-day blizzards to rainbows and monsoons, The Everything Kids’ Weather Book gives you an exciting look into all the action that happens in the sky.

Hello World! Weather – Young children are fascinated with weather and the seasons. Now here’s a Hello, World! board book that takes readers through a year of changes in a backyard—and points out the different clothes they wear to keep them comfy in winter, summer, spring, and fall.

Round Out Your Weather Unit with These Activities:

Check out these FREE weather worksheets for preschool. They will help little ones learn colors, ABCs, and beginner math. They’re perfect for summer learning!

They say that April showers bring May flowers. Little ones will can focus on early math and literacy when you add these Rainy Day-themed spring preschool printables to your lessons.

If you enjoy a good spring rain, you’ll love these rain crafts and activities. They’re perfect for keeping tots and preschoolers busy on a rainy afternoon!