Storytime: Weather!

There are a lot of components to weather, especially if you live in the Midwest like I do! Seriously, we have snow, 70 degree sun, and a tornado warning all on the same day here. That’s what makes weather a fantastic themes, though! You can talk about seasons, rain, snow, ice, wind, clouds, sun, storms, etc. So here’s a sampling of some fun weather stories and activities!

Look for future storytime posts about individual seasons, rain, snow, sun, etc!

Introduction: Some great questions to start this storytime off are:

What kind of weather is happening today?
What’s your favorite kind of weather? Why?
What do you think is a dog’s favorite weather? How about a cat’s? Why?

Opening Song: ECRR Song

Sign of the Day: There are so many ASL vocabulary signs that go along with weather, but I chose to teach the sign for “umbrella” because I planned to use it in a rhyme later.

Book: If Frogs Made Weather by Marion Dane Bauer

This is a little longer of a book, but it has great vocabulary, alliteration, and rhymes. Something I like to do with this book is to create a “Weather Wheel” to use with the book. (see below for explanation!)

Activity with the Book:

This isn’t my weather wheel, but just a picture I grabbed online to show as an example. Unfortunately I can’t get my weather wheel (cause of quarantine), so this will just help us talk about it for now! I use a fastener in the middle for mine with a bold arrow that can circle around to point to the different weather types. Then, at the end of each page in the book, I ask them to identify what kind of weather is on that page and invite a child to turn the weather wheel arrow.

Rhyme: Up and Down Umbrella w/ ASL. Anytime we said the word “umbrella” we used our sign for it.

Umbrellas go up! Umbrellas go down!
When rain clouds come all over town,
1 raindrop…2!
2 raindrops…3!
My up and down umbrella goes up over me!
4 raindrops…5!
6 raindrops, then 7!
raindrops are falling down from the heavens,
Drip, drip, drip, drip,
But I’m as dry as can be,
because my up and down umbrella is up over me!

Book: Weather by Jill McDonald

This is technically a board book, but the info in it is fantastic for preschoolers, too! It not only shows great examples of different weather and seasons, but also the clothes you might see during certain weather. This is a great vocabulary-building book, while still being engaging and allowing for ample talking opportunities.

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider Three Ways

This is such a fun way to celebrate the classic song and the kids (and caregivers) get SUCH a kick out of it! Seriously, they think it’s so so silly. And the caregivers love how ridiculous it all is.

Felt: One Windy Wednesday by Phyllis Root

This is a cute little story about a little girl who witnesses the wind blow the moo right out of the cow, the quack right out of the duck, and so on! Finally, once the wind has died down, she has to match the animal noises with the correct animal.

Parachute: I brought out the parachute for a fun weather activity. Every time I do this activity with a set of kids, they ask to do it again and again! I usually give in and do it at least two times. I had the kids sit in a circle around the parachute and hold on. I told them that we were going to make a thunderstorm. I ask the kids to follow my movement with the parachute. Then I started describing a storm:

“It was a bright and sunny day. The kind of day when it was so humid and hot, that it felt like you were wading through a pool of heat and warmth.
Suddenly, there was a breeze! Whooosh! [sway side to side while you “whoooosh”]. It felt cool and crisp after the heat of the day, but then, look at the sky! Clouds are coming and the wind is getting stronger [sway and whooosh quicker].
And as that wind grew stronger, it began to rain [gently wiggle the parachute up and down]. Then the rain started falling harder [wiggle parachute up and down faster]. And harder!
Then a crack of lightning zapped through the sky [lift parachute high above your head] and a moment later, there was a big BOOOOOOM [pull parachute to the ground quickly].”

Goodbye Song: Tickle the Clouds

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