Guest Author - Alissa Moy
Start a Weather Unit Study with your preschooler this month! It is so fulfilling to see the look of excitement on their little faces as they are learning new information. A weather themed study will tie in nicely with a daily calendar review, and a discussion of the weather each day. Keep a log of the weather daily. If you have an outdoor thermometer you can chart the temperature daily as well. Don't forget to discuss how weather affects what we wear. Gather ten objects from your child's closet for all types of weather, and have them figure out what the weather should be when they wear that item.
Discuss the seasons as they relate to the weather. Review which months of the year belong with which seasons. Create four poster sized signs with the name of one season on each poster. Using strips of construction paper write the names of the months on seperate strips, totaling twelve strips. Have your child find where each month goes and tape it to the season poster it belongs with. You can take this further by adding holidays you celebrate on either the season posters or month signs. Enlist your preschooler in planning future activities when each season approaches, such as an Easter egg hunt or Fourth of July bike parade.
A super hands on activity is called "Clouds in a Bowl". This is great for small muscle coordination, which just about every preschooler needs work on.
Fill a large plastic bowl with cotton balls. Call them clouds as they are fluffy and white like the cumulus clouds in the sky. Place a selection of items that can safely be used to pick up the clouds, like plastic tweezers, spoons of varied sizes, plastic tongs, and various cup sizes. Challenge your preschooler to pick up as many as they can using just the tools provided. You will be surprised that not only will this activity keep your little student busy for awhile, but it will also be fun for them! My son loved picking up the cotton balls at ages three and four, with it eventually being a challenge for him to get them all out with one spoon, pair of tongs, etc.
No matter what weather themed activity you choose to do with your homeschooler, enjoy the activities that help your preschool student to learn and have fun too.