Activity Overview
The weather exploration kit contains various items related to rain, such as umbrellas, raincoats, boots, or items with different textures and sounds. The accompanying story provides prompts that guide students in interacting with these objects, encouraging them to touch, hear, or even smell them, which helps to reinforce the concept of weather through a variety of sensory channels.
Multisensory Approach
- Tactile Exploration: Students can feel the textures of the raincoat, the smoothness of the umbrella handle, or the rubbery surface of rain boots.
- Auditory Cues: If you have items with sounds, such as raindrop simulators or umbrellas that make noise, students can connect the sound to the sensation of rain.
- Visual Supports: A Canva slideshow with photos of these items can support visual learners, or you can personalize it by including pictures of your students participating in the activity or enjoying rainy-day activities.
- Personal Connection: Consider having students talk about or demonstrate their favorite rainy-day activities, which can foster greater engagement.
Link to Canva slide show with photos
Today is a rainy day, class!
Can you hear the sound of the rain falling? I can hear it tapping on the windows. It’s soft, like little raindrops dancing on the glass.
Let’s start by feeling something that keeps us dry in the rain. I’m going to pass around this raincoat.
*(The teacher hands out a soft, waterproof raincoat to each student.)*
Can you feel how the raincoat feels? It’s smooth and a little shiny. The raincoat helps keep us dry when the rain falls. You can feel how it’s cool on the outside but keeps the wetness away from your body.
Now, I have something else that helps keep us dry: an umbrella!
*(The teacher holds up an umbrella, showing it to the class.)*
Can you feel the umbrella? It has a handle that’s a little bumpy, and the fabric is soft and smooth. If we were outside, the umbrella would keep the rain from touching our heads. Some of you might hear it *crinkle* when we open it!
Next, I have a pair of boots.
*(The teacher holds up a pair of rubber boots.)*
Can you feel how the boots are smooth and shiny? They help keep our feet dry when we walk through puddles. You can feel how the rubber is soft, and you can imagine the sound of *splashing* through the water.
Now, let’s try some water play!
*(The teacher sets up a small container of water or uses a spray bottle to lightly mist the students’ hands.)*
Can you feel the water on your hands? It’s cool and a little wet, just like the rain falling outside. You can feel the drops landing on your skin, like the rain tapping on the windows. Some of you might hear the *splashing* sound, too!
Let’s close our eyes for a moment and listen to the rain.
*(The teacher makes gentle rain sounds by tapping or shaking a small object, like a rain stick or a piece of plastic.)*
Can you hear the rain falling? It sounds like little drops *tap, tap, tap* on the roof and windows. The rain makes a gentle, calming noise, like a soft drum.
Finally, let’s smell the air.
*(The teacher might use a small spray bottle of fresh rain scent or just let the students imagine it.)*
Can you smell the rain? It smells fresh, like wet grass and the earth after a long rain. The air feels cool and clean.
Today, we all felt the rain in our own way—some with our hands, some with our ears, and some with our noses. We played with the water, heard the rain, and felt how cool and wet the day is.
Wasn’t that a fun rainy day? We all experienced it together, in our own special way.
