The weather has changed this week with strong cold wind blowing from the North. So todays activities are all related to the weather. Some young children can find strong wind quite alarming so using your senses to explore the wind make your child connect with the weather by asking what does the wind feel like? what does the wind sound like? what does the wind look like?
Activity 1 - Why don't you make your own weather chart at home so when you get up in the morning you can look out the window and introduce the vocabulary of the weather, seasons and associate positive adjectives to describe the weather. For example you might look out the window to grey clouds and say "The clouds look like they are about to burst and water all our flowers today, they need a drink to grow" or "It looks like great puddle jumping weather today". The associations we make with the weather whilst we are young will stay with us through life and lets face it we live in the uk when all seasons can happen in one day so this is a great habit, start enjoying all weathers.
If you have attended our Young Explorer sessions you could sing our weather song, inserting the weather for the day
"Whats the weather today?
Whats the weather today?
It is .... and ......
It's ..... and ......
That's the weather today, hey!"
Activity 2 - Step outside and feel the wind and look for the wind and what it can move. Are there trees nearby blowing in the wind? Can you spot some leaves and petals that have been blown to the ground? What is happening to your clothes and your hair? When you go back inside why not make a windy hair painting. You can collect some leaves and petals to create a windy hairstyle or paint or draw some crazy hair. If you have a straw why not blow through a straw onto some watery paint. Just blow like the wind!
Activity 3 - On a windy day there is nothing better than flying a kite and even better if it is one you have made yourself. I like to make these bird kites as they are guaranteed to fly on a windy day. All you need is an A4 piece of paper, a stapler or cellotape and string.
1 - Fold A4 piece of paper in half
2 - Holding the fold between your thumb and first finger bend each side back on itself and staple each corner into place. You now have two wind tunnels to help lift your paper.
3 - Now you can decorate this shape adding an eye, beak and tail to make it look like a bird. Remember less is more, the heavier you make your piece of paper the harder it will be to make it fly.
4 - Attach a piece of string or ribbon to the front quarter.
Your bird is now ready to fly
Activity 4 - When outside enjoying the wind in your hair and flying your kites see if you can find different lengths of sticks. When you get home you can tie theses sticks together to make a wind chime. Hang your wind chime near a door or window so you can listen to the noise they make when moving in the wind.
Activity 5 - After a windy walk why not snuggle up and listen to one of my favourite windy stories Nick Sharratt 'Shark in the park on a windy day' click here to listen and watch the story read by Nick Sharratt himself.
I would love to see what you get up to on a windy day, please share your windy day activities by tagging us at #hideawayforestschool or sharing on our facebook page