Backyard Weather Station for Preschoolers

A clear jar and ruler with tape for a rain gauge

A paper towel tube, tissue paper streamers, and string for a wind sock

An outdoor thermometer

Paper and markers for a weather chart

Build your rain gauge together. Place a clear jar in an open area (away from trees or roof overhangs). Tape a ruler to the side so you can measure how much rain collects.

Make a wind sock. Tape tissue paper streamers to one end of a paper towel tube. Tie string to the other end and hang it from a branch or fence post where wind can catch it.

Mount an outdoor thermometer where your child can see it — on a fence post or wall, not in direct sunlight (that gives false readings).

Create a simple chart with columns: Date, Temperature, Rain (how much), Wind (calm, breezy, windy), Sky (sunny, cloudy, partly cloudy, rainy).

Every morning, visit the weather station together. Read the thermometer (help with numbers). Check the rain gauge. Watch the wind sock. Look at the sky.

Record your findings on the chart. Your child can draw weather symbols and help write numbers.

The magic of this activity is the daily routine. A one-time check is interesting; a two-week streak reveals patterns. "It's been cloudy three days in a row!"

Hang the chart near the back door as a visual reminder to check the station each morning.

If you don't have a thermometer, skip it. The rain gauge and wind sock alone provide plenty of observation material.

After a week, look at the chart together. "What day was the warmest? Did it rain more at the beginning or end of the week?" This is data analysis for preschoolers.