Observable Sky Weather

Materials:

A day with notable weather (especially hot, stormy, foggy, etc.), nature journal, drawing utensils of choice.

Activity:

On a day with notable weather go outside and observe it (even if just for a moment) draw what you saw in the “Observable sky” section of your nature journal. Then add details about what else you experienced (smells, sounds, the texture of the rain, the force of the wind, etc)

Younger:

Young kids have a hard time drawing white clouds on a blue sky when the paper is white (negative space). Just have them try their best and spend more time recording the narration of their experience. Even their scribbles can represent their ideas when they explain them to you.

Older:

Have them track weather over time to notice patterns, have them explain the water cycle, or what caused the weather you observed. If they don’t know it, help them look it up.

Take it Further:

Do a mini-lesson on weather, the water cycle, or how to use weather tools. Check the forecast and then follow up to see if it was correct. Discuss how you can prepare for extreme weather at home or when you are out in nature. Find an art piece depicting a ship caught in a storm and discuss the storm from different perspectives and how the artist was able to show movement in their art.

A great piece you can use is this stormy sea painting by French artist Claude Joseph Vernet (1714–1789) click on the image for an interactive version by the National Gallery in the UK.

Claude Joseph Vernet A shipwreck in Stormy Seas 1773

See more nature journaling card activities here.