Hands-on classroom themed activities: Clothes and Weather
How would you use the activity in your classroom? I would cover this theme in Aistear over a few weeks using the following stations:
1. Storytelling Station:
• Create Stories: Develop simple stories where characters need to dress appropriately for various weather conditions.
• Ask Questions: Pause during the story to ask the children what clothing should be worn and why.
2. Dress-Up Dolls Station:
• Paper Dolls: Use paper dolls with various clothing options. Have the children dress the dolls for different weather scenarios (sunny, rainy, snowy, windy).
• Magnetic or Velcro Boards: Use magnetic boards where the children can stick different clothing items onto a figure based on the weather conditions given.
3. Weather and Clothing Chart Station:
• Visual Charts: Create a chart with different weather types (sunny, rainy, snowy, windy) and corresponding pictures of appropriate clothing.
• Matching Activity: Have children match pictures of clothes to the appropriate weather type on the chart.
4. Role Play Station:
• Dress-Up Play: Provide a box of various clothing items (coats, hats, boots, sunglasses, raincoats) and let children physically dress up based on the weather scenario you call out.
5. Art Station:
• Art Project: Let children create pictures of themselves dressed for different types of weather.
6. Songs and Rhymes Station:
• Weather Songs: Use simple, catchy songs and rhymes about dressing for the weather. For example, “If You’re Happy and You Know It” can be adapted to “If It’s Raining and You Know It, Wear Your Coat.”
• Movement Activities: Incorporate actions into songs, like pretending to put on a raincoat or sunglasses.
7. Weather Reports Station:
• Daily Weather Chart: Have a daily weather chart in the classroom. Each day, discuss the weather and ask children what they would wear.
• Student Weather Reports: Use a microphone and TV screen to let children take turns being the “weather reporter” and suggest appropriate clothing for the day.
8. Games Station:
• Weather Bingo: Create Bingo cards with different weather types and clothing items. Call out weather conditions and have children mark the corresponding clothing.
• Sorting Game: Provide a mix of clothing items and ask children to sort them into categories based on weather.