Seasons & Weather Watch (EYFS)

Inside Seasons & Weather Watch (EYFS)

the four seasons — spring, summer, autumn and winter — and what changes in each one, weather words like rainy, windy, sunny and frosty, what to wear for each weather, a little weather diary, and spotting nature outside the window. About 15 gentle minutes with a grown-up.

Learning objectives

• name the four seasons — spring, summer, autumn and winter — and what changes in each one (blossom, sunshine, falling leaves, frost and snow);
• use weather words such as rainy, windy, sunny and frosty to describe the day;
• choose sensible clothes for the weather — wellies and a raincoat for rain, gloves for frost, a sun hat for sunshine;
• keep a simple weather diary over a few days and notice whether the weather stays the same or changes;
• make careful observations of nature through the window and out on walks.

Activities in this book

1. Play 1 — The Four Seasons

   say the four seasons out loud together — spring, summer, autumn, winter — then think about what you have seen outside in each one before choosing.

2. Play 2 — Weather Words & What to Wear

   before choosing, imagine stepping outside in that weather. What would keep you dry, warm or cool? Your own coat peg can help you remember!

3. Play 3 — Looking Out of the Window

   stand at the window together for a whole quiet minute before drawing. Look up at the sky, then down at the ground, then at the trees. What do you notice?

4. Play 4 — My Weather Diary

   peek outside at the same time each day — after breakfast works well. Let your child choose the weather word and draw their own little symbol, like a sun or a raindrop.

5. Play 5 — Seasons & Weather at Home

   a walk to the shops, hanging out washing or a play in the garden are all perfect weather-spotting trips. Talk about what you feel on your skin — warm sun, cool wind, little raindrops.

Suggestions for teaching

• Use the real sky. The best resource is free — a window, a doorstep or a short walk. Look together before and after each play.
• Seasons. Link each season to things your child has really seen: conker-collecting in autumn, frosty car windows in winter, blossom and lambs in spring, ice lollies and long evenings in summer.
• Weather words. Say the day's weather word out loud each morning — rainy, windy, sunny, frosty, cloudy — until choosing one becomes a happy habit.
• What to wear. Let your child help choose their own clothes for the day's weather and explain why — it turns getting dressed into thinking time.
• The weather diary. Keep it tiny and joyful — one peek out of the window a day, one little symbol. Three days is plenty to start spotting change.