Weather Topic theme Planning EYFS – Ideas to Get You Started

Children have strong connections with their environment and love to explore the outdoors as an integral part of their learning. Planning a themed topic on the weather should start with a brain storming session with your team and of course involve the views and ideas of the EYFS children.

In the first part of my article about planning and learning about the weather, I provide a general overview of the topic with some good practical planning ideas based on the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.

Introducing a themed topic on weather should be relatively easy if you work with young children. They are naturally curious and interested in very windy weather, torrential rain, snow, ice and blustery conditions.

A great starting point for a weather topic is to come to school or nursery in highly inappropriate clothing for the weather. In summer, come dressed in a raincoat, willies, scarf, gloves, jumper and a hat for example and complain to the children that you are too hot. Anything extreme always gets the children laughing and talking but it also gives them the chance to share and justify their ideas and judgements to each other and the teacher. Similarly, in winter, come dressed for a beach trip and see how they react! Don’t forget to wear your sunglasses for the full effect!

Although many teachers talk about the weather on a daily basis with the children – it is important to focus on this sharply during the morning sessions and begin to let the children have opportunities to talk with each other about the weather conditions on the way to school.

Don’t just ask them what the weather is like today – develop strategies like talk partners and get into the habit of asking very open questions to start a talk partner discussion.

Examples of questions to post to the group are:

·         What can you tell your friend about the weather today?

·         Tell your partner about how the weather feels today?

·         What kind of weather do you think we might see this afternoon?

·         Talk to your partner and tell them where you think rain comes from?

·         What do you know about the wind or the sunshine?