Weather Teaching Resources
Browse printable weather worksheets, activities, science vocabulary resources, experiments for kids, resources about floods and natural disasters and more ideas for teaching students in primary school about the weather outside your classroom and around the world.
This collection of curriculum-aligned weather teaching resources was created by teachers with teachers in mind. That means every printable and digital resource has been carefully checked by a member of our expert teacher team to ensure it's classroom-ready, so you save time on your lesson plans!
Looking to get started on the weather, or just need more ways to make this science topic more engaging in your classroom? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is Weather? A Kid-Friendly Definition
When it comes to defining weather for students, here's a kid-friendly definition you can use to explain what weather is:
Weather refers to the conditions in the Earth's atmosphere, such as temperature, wind, precipitation and cloudiness. The weather outside your classroom or home is affected by many things, including the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface, the rotation of the Earth and the presence of water vapour in the atmosphere.
Weather can change rapidly, and it can be unpredictable, so it's important to stay informed about current weather conditions and be prepared for different types of weather.
What Is Weather Science?
Meteorology — also known as weather science — is the study of the Earth's atmosphere and the weather conditions that occur within it. This includes studying temperature, air pressure, wind, precipitation and other atmospheric phenomena.
Weather scientists known as meteorologists use a variety of tools, such as satellites, radar and weather balloons, to collect data about the atmosphere and predict what the weather will be like in the future. These predictions are called weather forecasts and help us decide what to wear or how to plan for outdoor activities that might be affected by rain or excessive heat.
Weather science isn't just important for telling us what to wear, however! It helps us prepare for extreme weather events, provides important information for transportation and aviation safety and helps scientists better understand the Earth's climate.
Students can act as amateur meteorologists as they learn to record weather information to keep track of what is going on outside of your classroom, including relative temperatures such as hot or cold, clear or cloudy, calm or windy and rainy or icy!
Is Climate the Same as Weather?
The two words are often used interchangeably, but it's important to impress upon your students that weather and climate are two very different things!
Weather, as we already explained, deals with the conditions of Earth's atmosphere at any given time. It can be termed as the short-term atmospheric conditions of a specific place — such as temperature, wind, humidity, precipitation and cloud cover — over a short period of time, usually a few hours or days.
Climate, on the other hand, is a look at those conditions over a long period of time. It can be termed as the long-term average weather patterns of a specific region or location, usually over a period of at least 30 years.
What Do Kids Need to Learn About Weather?
Weather is a broad, broad topic — to say the least! So what's going on during primary school weather lessons? Before kids move on to high school, they should have a basic understanding of the different elements that make up the weather and how they interact with each other. They'll also need to understand weather forecasts and how to use them to plan.
With that in mind, here are the biggest topics to cover:
- Temperature — Learning how to measure temperature using a thermometer and how temperature changes over time, as well as the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit, are part of weather lessons at this stage of kids' education.
- Precipitation — Young students learn about different types of precipitation — such as rain, snow, sleet and hail — and how they form in the atmosphere.
- Wind — Wind direction and speed, how wind is measured and how it affects the weather should all be covered before kids head off to secondary school.
- Clouds — From cumulus to strato-form, students learn about the different types of clouds and how they form plus how clouds affect the weather.
- Extreme Weather — Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods and thunderstorms are typically part of the science curriculum at this stage, and depending on where you are teaching instruction on how to stay safe during these events may well be on the agenda.
- Free Plan
How About This Weather? - Worksheet
Explore different types of weather and subsequent observable changes with this 5-page worksheet pack.
- Plus Plan
Climate Zones of the World – Poster Pack
Learn about different climate types with this set of 6 printable posters.
- Plus Plan
Types of Weather – Word Search
Review science vocabulary terms with an engaging weather word search.
- Plus Plan
Spring Writing Prompts for Beginning Writers
Use the season of spring to inspire writing in your early years classroom.
- Plus Plan
Nature's Overflow - Impact of Flooding PowerPoint
Learn about floods and their impact on communities with our Impacts of Flooding PowerPoint.
- Plus Plan
Seasonal Changes Teaching Presentation
Show your students this 26-slide teaching presentation all about the changing seasons, and develop their understanding of seasonal changes in the environment.
- Plus Plan
Seasonal Changes Worksheets
Engage your young learners with this set of fun season worksheets. Included are 12 activities to keep them learning!
- Plus Plan
What's the Weather Like Today? – Mini-Book
Measure, record and graph weather information with a printable mini-book.
- Plus Plan
Animals in Winter Activity Book
Show what you know about hibernation and migration with a printable Animals in Winter Activity book.
- Plus Plan
Animals that Hibernate & Migrate Picture Posters
Explore animal hibernation and migration and learn about the animals that use these behavioural adaptations with a printable animal poster pack.
- Free Plan
Natural Disaster Word Wall Vocabulary
Use this teacher-created resource to explore natural disaster vocabulary with your primary school students.
- Free Plan
My Favourite Season Worksheet
Activate your students' prior knowledge about the seasons using this worksheet which prompts them to state which is their favourite season and justify their choice.
- Plus Plan
Seasons and Months Posters
Use these four months and the seasons posters to help your students to learn the seasons and their corresponding months.
- Plus Plan
Seasons, Weather and Our Choices Worksheets
Hand out these eight great seasons worksheets to help your students learn all about the seasonal changes and the way they affect our everyday choices.
- Plus Plan
Order of Seasons Task Cards
Use these task cards to allow students to practise ordering images of seasonal changes across the year.
- Plus Plan
Natural Disasters – Printable Puzzles
Match pictures and facts of various natural disasters with this set of printable science puzzles.
- Plus Plan
Weather vs. Climate – Interactive Activity
Strengthen student understanding of weather and climate with this interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Four Seasons Picture Sorting – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Sort pictures according to the season they represent with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Weather Journal – Mini-Book
Draw and write about the current weather conditions, record weather data and predict what the following day’s forecast will be with this printable mini-book.
- Free Plan
Natural Disasters Vocabulary Display
Reinforce science vocabulary in your classroom with this set of illustrated and annotated natural disaster word wall cards.
- Plus Plan
Clouds and Their Position – Poster
Learn about the different types of clouds and their position within the atmosphere with this printable poster.
- Plus Plan
Natural Disasters Safety Poster
A task to be used when investigating how to remain safe in the event of a natural disaster.
- Plus Plan
Dress for the Weather Match-Up Activity
Identify proper clothing choices for different weather conditions with a clothing and climate matching activity.
- Free Plan
Flood Safety Poster Project
Explore the impact of flooding and engage your students with a Flood Safety Poster Project.
- Free Plan
Four Seasons Spinner Activity — Southern Hemisphere
Print a four seasons spinner activity to expand students' understanding of the different times of the year.
- Plus Plan
Printable Weather Recording Charts
Use these printable weather charts to graph and analyse the weather for each month.
- Plus Plan
Tornado in a Jar Experiment
Create a Tornado in a Jar with an interactive science experiment slide deck and Tornado in a Jar Experiment Worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Printable Windsock Craft Template - Stars
Make a fun Windsock Craft to observe wind movement inside and outside the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Natural Disasters - Flood Simulation Experiment
A hands-on experiment to use when exploring natural disasters.
- Plus Plan
Winter Survival Adaptations - Sorting Activity
Match the animals with the behavioural adaptation that helps them survive the winter in this printable animal adaptation sorting activity.
- Plus Plan
Hibernate, Migrate, or Adapt? Year 1 Animal Printables
Cut and sort animals that hibernate, migrate, and adapt with a Year 1 worksheet for science class.
- Plus Plan
Animals in Winter - Hibernation Mini Book
Read and learn about animals that hibernate with a printable hibernation book for kids.