Welcome to the immersive world of weather-themed sensory play! As a parent, fostering creativity and exploration is key, and what better way to do so than through a captivating weather station-themed sensory table experience for your little ones?
Setting the WEATHER STATIOn Scene
For this activity, we’ll be using the Weather learning spinner from the printable activity kit. This will serve as the background to your weather board. You can reuse the awning from the Grocery Store printable kit of this setup if you’d like to add a bit more color.
Here are a few other add-ons that I used:
Weather-Themed Sensory Bins
1. Rainbow cereal threading (Taste safe)
For toddlers who are still mouthing everything, this activity is awesome. Grab a hoop shaped cereal (I used Fruit Loops) and have your toddler sort them by color. Use pastel or rainbow colored pipe cleaner and hot glue them to a cloud shaped cut out. I bought these puffy clouds from amazon but you can also just cut out a cloud shape from white paper or cardstock. Wrap the pipe cleaner around a pen to create a spiral. Then challenge your toddler to thread the cereal onto the pipe cleaner. For littler kids, keep the pipe cleaners straight for easier threading. Some pipe cleaners have sharp metal edges, so just be sure to fold those into a little loop at the bottom so that no one gets poked.
2. Cloudy Exploration Bin (Recommended for Ages 2+):
Fill a bin with used cloud-shaped packing peanuts, simulating a cloudy sky. Introduce small figurines of airplanes or birds for imaginative play if desired. Encourage your child to feel the textures of the packing peanuts, fostering sensory exploration. Some packing peanuts are even bio degradable and you can use colored water to drip onto them and watch them dissolve into a beautiful rainbow.
3. rainbow Packing balls
There’s a few ways to do this activity depending on how mess-averse you are. If you’re not worried about a mess, dump the packing balls directly into a bin and let your child go wild! These are very small and not recommended for mouthing toddlers. But if your child is a bit older, these little foam balls are sensory heaven. Talk about the rainbow colors and even challenge your toddler to sort a few — it’s very tricky because they’re small and cling together.
If you don’t like the mess, then I recommend grabbing some sensory bottles and filling them with the balls. Because the balls have static, they cling to the surfaces of the bottle. You can challenge your toddler to shake them off. Add more or less and experiment with how it looks and feels.
More fun weather sensory bin ideas
Rainbow BALL SORT:
This amazing Rainbow Weather Flisat board insert from WonderYearsPlay is the perfect addition to your weather themed sensory play. If you’re going to invest in an insert, this is my favorite one because it’s colorful and there are 3 different ways to play. You can sort rainbow wool balls into each of the holes and they’re the perfect size to rest on top or pop down into the bin. You can use colorful popsicle sticks to match to the rainbow bands and slot into the holes. And you can grab a pack of q-tips and fill the clouds with puffy white fluff. You can also snag these adorable matching felt characters.
Rainbow Rice Storm Bin (Recommended for Ages 3+):
Create a stormy effect using rainbow-colored rice mixed with drops of essential oils like lavender for a calming scent. Include miniature umbrellas, tiny rain boots, and small scooping tools for a tactile experience. Encourage sorting colors or creating patterns in the rice storm.
Foggy Mystery Bin (Recommended for Ages 3+):
Design a misty landscape using a mix of cotton balls, torn cotton pads, and a touch of diluted white paint or essential oils for a subtle fog effect. Hide small objects within the "fog" for a sensory treasure hunt, engaging your child's tactile senses and problem-solving skills.
Sandy Desert Storm Bin (Recommended for Ages 3+)
Create a desert storm experience using kinetic sand as the base. Add in small plastic cacti, toy animals like camels or snakes, and tiny rocks for a textured desert landscape. Encourage imaginative play by burying small treasures in the sand for discovery.
Arctic Ice Exploration Bin (Recommended for Ages 4+):
Construct an Arctic scene using shredded coconut as snow, incorporating frozen miniature animals and objects. Freeze small toys in ice cubes and include them in the bin for an icy excavation experience. Use droppers filled with warm water to melt the ice and uncover the hidden treasures.
Other Weather-Themed Activities
Weather-themed sensory bottles (rainstorm, snowstorm, tornado)
Windy kite-making using tissue paper and sticks
Sun catchers with translucent materials
Rainbow collage art using assorted colored papers
Weather Vocabulary Words
Cloud: Fluffy, white masses in the sky made of tiny water droplets or ice crystals.
Rain: Water droplets falling from clouds in the sky, often bringing moisture to the ground.
Sun: The star at the center of our solar system, providing light and warmth.
Wind: Moving air in the atmosphere, sometimes gentle and sometimes strong.
Storm: A disturbance in the atmosphere characterized by strong winds, rain, or thunder and lightning.
Rainbow: A beautiful arc of colors in the sky caused by the refraction and dispersion of sunlight in water droplets.
Snow: Frozen precipitation in the form of delicate ice crystals.
Fog: Thick, low-lying clouds on the ground that reduce visibility.
Lightning: A sudden flash of light caused by the discharge of electricity during a storm.
Thunder: The loud sound that follows a lightning strike.
Umbrella: An object used to protect oneself from rain.
Boots: Footwear designed to keep feet dry in wet conditions.
Sky: The expanse above the Earth where clouds, the sun, and stars are seen.
Temperature: A measure of how hot or cold something is.
Forecast: A prediction of the weather conditions.
Meteorologist: A person who studies and predicts the weather.
Barometer: A tool used to measure air pressure.
Anemometer: A device that measures wind speed.
Thermometer: A tool used to measure temperature.
Hail: Frozen balls of ice that fall from the sky during some storms.
Seasons: Different periods of the year characterized by specific weather patterns.
Tornado: A rapidly rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.
Drizzle: Light rain falling in fine drops.
Mist: Water droplets suspended in the air near the ground.
Precipitation: Any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere and reaches the ground.
These additional sensory bins and descriptive vocabulary will cater to various developmental stages, allowing a broader range of engaging experiences and learning opportunities for children exploring the world of weather.
Creating a weather station-themed sensory table experience not only stimulates sensory exploration but also fosters imaginative play and early interest in meteorology.
