Ready to turn stormy skies and sunny days into an unforgettable learning adventure? Let’s discover the wonders of weather with a Family Unit Study! It’s the perfect way to explore the science behind the skies with the whole family.
Did you know a single cloud can weigh hundreds of tons—yet still float gracefully across the sky? It’s just one of the many incredible weather facts your kids will uncover with the Wild Weather Family Unit Study.
Get excited, my friend, for a fun-filled Weather Unit Study for Kids!
What is a Family Unit Study?
But first… what exactly is a Family Unit Study?
This weather unit study for kids, like all of our ever-growing library of unit studies, takes one big theme—Weather—and breaks it down into ten manageable, bite-sized learning topics. This format gives you the freedom to dive into learning at a pace that works for your family. Perhaps you do one topic per day, perhaps one per week. Whatever suits your fancy! You can learn about weather and explore a topic from start to finish in about 1-2 hours each.
Dive in and watch the sparks of wonder ignite. Watch the child-led learning take off. Watch what happens when children are engaged in what they are learning!
Each of the 10 topics includes:
- an interesting fact,
- a discussion question,
- informative information,
- a curated YouTube video,
- a recommended book,
- a math or literacy enrichment question (with three difficulty levels),
- and an ultimate-can’t-be-beat hands-on activity!
Plus, all subjects are covered across the 10 topics! Geography, History, Science, Social Studies, Music, Art, Health, Literacy, and Math.
When everything connects across subjects, learning just makes more sense. Kids remember more, understand better, and actually enjoy the process. It’s the kind of learning that really sticks. 🙌
Before we weather the wild and wonderful world of storms, I wanted to share a little something to make your homeschool days just a bit easier (because we all need that, right?).
Our Mini Homeschool Toolbox is a simple, go-to resource filled with helpful printables – like math charts, number lines, and writing supports – to keep your days organized and your lessons running smoothly.
It’s completely free and so handy to have on hand as you move through your homeschool routine. Simply enter your email address below, and a copy will be instantly delivered to your inbox.
Wild Weather Unit Study for Kids
Now, let’s dive into the Wild Weather Family Unit Study! Below are the 10 topics included with the unit study and an example of the activities we enjoyed for each.
Topic #1: What is Climate?
Weather can change in a moment, but climate tells the bigger story of what a place is like over time. From sunny tropical beaches to icy polar lands, every part of the world has its own unique rhythm. In this activity, you will go on a fun scavenger hunt, matching different locations to their climate zones and discovering how the world’s weather can be so wonderfully different from place to place.
Topic #2: What is Temperature?
There is no better way to learn about temperature than by learning to read a thermometer and record some temperatures. My kids loved recording the temperature outside for a week, checking to see how the sun/shade affected our temperature readings, as well as figuring out what time of day is typically the warmest.
Topic #3: The Water Cycle
Water is always on the move, even when we can’t see it – traveling through the air, across the land, and back again in a beautiful, never-ending cycle. It’s a quiet kind of magic happening all around us every single day. In this hands-on activity, you will bring the water cycle to life by acting it out, using simple movements to show evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection in a playful and memorable way.
Topic #4: All About Clouds
Clouds are like nature’s storytellers, drifting across the sky and hinting at what kind of weather might be on the way. From light and wispy to big and fluffy, each one has its own special shape and purpose. After learning about the different types of clouds, you will have lots of fun creating your own clouds out of cotton balls!
Topic #5: Forces and Winds
Wind might feel like a simple breeze on your face, but it’s actually air on the move, traveling from place to place as temperatures change across the Earth. It’s amazing to think that something we can’t see can be so powerful and important. For the hands-on activity in this topic, you will make a simple paper windmill as we learn all about wind power. You can check out that activity in this blog post.
Topic #6: Thunder and Lightning
Thunder and lightning can feel a little mysterious – and maybe even a bit exciting – when they light up the sky. That bright flash and booming sound are all part of a powerful storm happening high above us. In this activity, you will create LIGHTNING! I mean, this may have been my favorite part! By using items found in our kitchen cupboard, we were able to create static electricity and make a spark that looked just like a bolt of lightning.
Topic #7: Tornadoes
Tornadoes are one of nature’s most powerful – and fascinating – storms, with spinning winds that can twist and turn across the land. It all begins with air moving and shifting high above us in just the right conditions. Then, create a tornado in a bottle, swirling water to see how a spinning vortex forms in a simple, hands-on, and mesmerizing way.
Topic #8: Hurricanes
Hurricanes are powerful swirling storms, yet right in the center is a calm, quiet space called the eye. It’s amazing how something so strong can also have a peaceful center. In this activity, your child will create a hurricane in a bowl – swirling water and watching how the motion forms a calm middle, bringing this fascinating concept (safely) to life!
Topic #9: Snow
Snow has a quiet, peaceful way of transforming everything it touches, gently covering the world in a soft, white blanket. Each tiny flake forms high up in the clouds in its own unique way. In this activity, your child will create their own symmetrical snowflakes, exploring how these beautiful ice crystals form and discovering the simple science behind their delicate patterns.
Topic #10: Weather Forecasting
Have you ever wondered how we know what the weather will be like tomorrow? Meteorologists use a mix of tools and observations to piece together clues from the sky and make their best predictions. In this activity, you create your own weather vane, learning how wind direction helps us understand and forecast changing weather patterns.
And there you have it, the 10 bite-sized learning topics that make up our Wild Weather Unit Study for Kids! I’d love for you to pop on over to check it out and consider purchasing it for you and yours.
Wild Weather Family Unit Study
Grab your copy of Wild Weather here:
https://shop.howweelearn.com/products/family-unit-study-wild-weather
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Thank you so much for reading!
xo
Sarah
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