Weather- Clouds and Rain

Book Ideas: Cloudy with a Chance of meatballs by Judi Barrett
“Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers--until the weather takes a turn for the worse.”

Raindrop, Plop! By Wendy Lewison
One little raindrop, dark, dark sky. Two little raindrops, clouds go by...
“A spirited rhyming text that's ideal for reading aloud and cheerful illustrations capture the unexpected pleasures that a little wet weather can bring to a young child's day.”

The Police Cloud by Christoph Niemann
“In this funny and tender picture book for the youngest child, a fluffy cloud gets a job (with the help of his friend the police helicopter) as a police officer. But no matter how hard he tries, the qualities that make him a cloud seem to get in the way of his duties. He blocks the sun at the park instead of helping people and obscures traffic at an intersection instead of directing it. Upset, the cloud starts to cry. And it's his streaming tears—which inadvertently put out a fire in a burning building—that lead him to his true calling in life: as a firefighter!”

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw
“‘Sometimes it looked like a Sheep. But it wasn't a Sheep.’ So what was it? In this imaginative book, a cloud appears to be a bird, a tree, an ice-cream cone, and other objects familiar to children. The white images set against a deep blue background are striking. This wonderful book can be used as a guessing game or gentle read-aloud.”

Little Cloud by Eric Carle
“The clouds drift across the bright blue sky-all except one. Little Cloud trails behind. He is busy changing shapes to become a fluffy sheep, a zooming airplane, and even a clown with a funny hat.”



Activity Ideas:

Idea #1: Cool Cloud Book

Read "Little Cloud" or "It Looked like Spilt Milk" and then sponge paint your own silly cloud shapes and make your own cool clouds book. You will need some cookie cutters, pencil, scissors, old cereal box, piece of sponge, blue paint, white paper, 1 piece of construction paper, stapler, and markers.

First you will need to trace 5 different cookie-cutter shapes onto an old cereal box or plastic yogurt lids (whatever you have on hand). Cut them out.

Next, Cut 3 pieces of white paper in half. Squirt some blue paint on a paper plate. Place one of your shape cut-outs on your paper. Dip your wet sponge in the paint. Holding the shape in place, press your sponge around the edges of the shape. Lift off the cardboard shape and you should see the outline of your shape. Continue making a different shape outline for each page until you have done them all. Set aside to dry.

Once dry, staple together the pages with a piece of construction paper on the top and bottom for a cover. Add the title, "Cool Clouds," to the cover and the predictable text to each page: "Clouds that look like a _______." (Fill in the blank with whatever shape you have on that page). On the final page, write "Cool clouds are everywhere".

Idea #2: Cotton Ball Clouds

Read one of the stories and then make your own rain cloud. You will need, 1 piece of white cardstock or construction paper, cotton balls, glue, 1 Gallon Size Ziplock Bag, silver glitter glue, tape, hole puncher, and string.

First, draw a large cloud shape on your white paper and cut it out.

Next cut 1 inch strips out of your gallon-sized Ziplock bag.

Tape the Strips to the back of your cloud paper, at different lengths (In the photo, we had already glued our cotton balls, but it would be better to tape them to the back first).

Squirt a glob of glue on the cloud shape and let your child spread it around, using a q-tip.

Completely cover your white cloud with cotton balls.

Dot the clear strips with silver glitter glue to make raindrops. (If you don't have any glitter glue, you could cut out raindrops from tinfoil and glue them onto the strips). Set aside and let dry.

Punch a hole in the top and attach a string for hanging.



Idea #3: Water Color Umbrella

Read one of the stories and then make your own colorful umbrella. You will need one paper towel, watercolor paint set, scissors, tape and a piece of construction paper.

Cut your paper towel into an umbrella shape.

Let your child drip water colors and paint designs all over the paper towel. Set aside to dry.

Cut out a handle out of construction paper and tape it to your paper towel umbrella.




Idea #4: Paper Towel Tube Rainstick

Read one of the stories and then make your own paper towel tube rainstick. For step by step directions click here. (This is a much safer version than most home-made rainsticks using sharp toothpicks or nails). When done, decorate your stick.


Idea #5: Early Writing: I wish it would rain _______.

Read one of the stories and then have your child "write" (draw) about what they wish it would rain. Make sure to label the picture.