Quick Answer

Weather Investigation is a printable preschool science resource for observing daily weather and testing wind, rain covers, sunshine, evaporation, and a rain-in-a-jar model. The resource includes picture vocabulary cards, visual prompts, observation sheets, and a teacher’s guide to help you prepare hands-on experiences for your group.

Description

Weather Investigation combines everyday outdoor observations with hands-on tests you can set up in the classroom. Children can notice the weather, test a roof material, collect rain, compare sun and shade, and revisit an evaporation cup.

The resource includes both Puddle Watch and Evaporation Cup, along with the shaving-cream Rain in a Jar activity. These experiences give children changes to revisit and describe rather than only naming weather pictures.

The activity signs are reusable prompts to place beside real materials. Children investigate with the materials; they do not need to write answers on the signs. Full-page and half-page options let you choose a size that fits your table, tray, or classroom display.

Use this resource for science centers, small group investigations, classroom theme activities, or homeschool preschool. You can offer one setup at a time and return to familiar activities as children develop new questions.

What’s Inside

This resource includes:

• Weather Investigation display and Weather Can Change photo reference

• 12 picture word cards in four-per-page and two-per-page formats

• Eight full-page and half-page activity signs: Weather Watch, Will the Wind Move It?, Rain Cover Test, Catch the Rain, Sun and Shade, Puddle Watch, Evaporation Cup, and Rain in a Jar

• Today's Weather display, compact Sun and Shade labels, and two full-page rain-cover sorting mats

• Half-page My Weather Observation drawing sheet

• Teacher's guide with setup ideas

How to Use

Begin with Weather Watch and choose picture cards that match what children notice. More than one card can apply. Set out one investigation at a time with its matching sign and the teacher-guide materials.

Try Rain Cover Test, Will the Wind Move It?, or Sun and Shade. Mark the starting level on an evaporation cup and revisit it over several days. Use Rain in a Jar as a model for discussion, explaining that real clouds are not made of shaving cream.

Display a few picture word cards beside the materials, or laminate, hole-punch, and place them on a ring for children to flip through. Use the words during conversations about what children notice.

Offer the half-page observation sheets when children want to draw their discoveries. Writing is optional; an adult can record a child’s words. Follow the included teacher’s guide for setup ideas and adapt materials and supervision to your group.

Why It Works

Children have concrete materials and visible actions to connect with new ideas. Repeating an investigation gives them opportunities to compare results, describe changes, and try another approach.

This resource helps:

• Connect science with daily experiences

• Support repeated observation of changing conditions

• Encourage predictions and material tests

• Build language for weather, comparisons, and change

• Support conversation and observation without requiring written answers

• Give teachers flexible visual prompts for different setups

Perfect For

• Preschool

• Pre-K

• Kindergarten readiness

• Science centers

• Small group investigations

• Weather themes

• Seasonal science

• Rain and wind investigations

• Daily observation routines

• Homeschool preschool

Preschool Vibes Standards

• 6A. We can observe using our senses and describe what we notice.

• 6C. We can make predictions about what might happen.

• 6D. We can test ideas and notice what happened.

• 6E. We can use simple tools and materials to explore (magnifiers, droppers, ramps, magnets, balance, light).

• 6F. We can compare and describe materials and their properties (hard/soft, heavy/light, float/sink, transparent/opaque).

• 6G. We can observe changes (melting/freezing, mixing, growing, weather changes).

Digital Download & Terms of Use

This is a digital download only. No physical product will be delivered.

This resource includes printable PDF pages. Investigation materials and tools shown in the activities are not included.

This resource is for personal and single-classroom use only. You may not resell, redistribute, share, upload, or claim this file as your own.

Due to the digital nature of this product, all sales are final.