Do you know kids can be intrigued by the concepts of wind? They are good at observation and are sure to have questions about the tree moving in the air or sometimes standing still. Hence, outside on a windy day, you can help kids learn about the wind. You can talk about how we can’t see the wind but can feel it and see what it does. Kids will be able to experience all the things related to wind. They can find something like grass moving, a kite flying, or leaves blowing.
However, the practical existence of wind can better be explained with fun activities. Simple activities help preschoolers learn more about the wind, which serves as an important part of the weather and the ecosystem. Most importantly, they will be able to learn how it affects things around them. Activity-based learning provides preschoolers an opportunity to explore by themselves more about the wind and its different aspects. Not only does it provide an optimum learning environment but it also makes learning joyful and long-lasting.
Introducing the concept of wind to little learners
While activities play a good role in transforming the learning environment, it is crucial for teachers to keep changing the learning patterns. Different methods work well in enhancing knowledge and creating interest in learning.
- Books about wind and its concepts help children learn about wind. Books have visually appealing illustrations and fonts that help catch their attention.
- For teaching the concept of winds, teachers may also use different worksheets for circling the object, coloring the elements that are associated with wind, or other writing-based activities.
- Practical examples of wind are also helpful to make them stay interested in the subject matter. Teachers can show how windmills and birds use the wind to perform a certain action.
- Wind can also be taught via a visit to a garden or any other place on a windy day. Children can observe how trees move in the air through the wind.
Fun and exciting wind activities for preschoolers
The activities that are mentioned below help create a strong base for learning about the different facets of wind. Taking a break from rote learning, they ensure that younglings can remember things just by understanding them. Activities also provide a good amount of experience by working in groups and motivating teamwork.
1. Balloon goes up, up, and away
Balloons are fascinating for preschoolers to learn about the working of wind. It is a basic game that can help kids to understand how wind affects simple things around everyone.
- Divide students into pairs.
- Ask each team to inflate 6 balloons.
- Each pair will stand on opposite sides and push the balloon in the air.
- The goal is to keep the balloon in the air as long as possible.
This activity will teach the kids the importance of teamwork and patience while coordinating with their teammates. Moreover, they can also get clarity on how crucial wind is for nature and sustenance.
2. Can it fly?
Kids relate wind with flying objects including kites or birds. Hence, this activity helps them understand what can fly in windy weather and what cannot.
- To conduct this activity, ask them to stand and be ready with their actions.
- Now, start saying names of different things and birds that either fly or do not fly in the air.
- If the object has the ability to fly in the air, ask kids to open their hands and act as if they are flying.
- If the object cannot fly in the air, ask them to clap for such objects.
- You can use these names for the activity – kite, stone, eagle, lantern, pencil, rocket, plant, plane, etc.
Such an activity helps them understand how various objects and birds can fly in strong winds while some objects cannot. The activity creates intrigue in their minds to learn more about it.
3. Will it move?
There’s always one question that needs to be answered when kids are learning about wind. Which objects will the wind be able to move? The materials that are required for this activity are paper, a feather, a pencil, and a pencil box.
- Place the materials on the table and at the end of the table place an electric fan.
- Now place the objects one by one before the fan.
- Before switching the fan on, ask the kids if they will be able to move the object.
- During the activity, kids will observe that the wind from the fan can move the paper and feather easily.
- To move the pencil the fan’s speed will have to be increased.
- Similarly, for the pencil box.
Kids will be able to get hands-on practical knowledge about the role intensity of wind plays in moving objects around it. Moreover, they will be able to understand the relationship between the mass of the object and the force that the wind puts on it.
4. Something nice, something stinky
Air is made up of different fragrances and smells. This activity will involve a wide variety of fragrances and kids will learn how fast smells travel through the wind.
- Ask each student to stand in one corner of the room.
- Ask them to close their eyes and focus only on the smell of the object.
- Standing in the center of the room, open each fragrant object.
- Ask the students to guess which object it is by smelling it from afar.
- Use a table fan to spread the fragrance and make kids understand how the wind carries smells.
- Make changes constantly, such as opening a perfume bottle and then switching it to different smells like ginger, rose, chocolate, or grass.
Kids will be able to differentiate between the smells and also under the crucial concept of wind movement. For some strong-smelling objects, the distance can also be increased. Kids also get to learn how the winds can carry smells.
5. Windy Olympics
Learning is improved when games and lessons are combined. For this activity, the requirements are a long table, candles, cardboard, and ping pong balls.
- Divide the table into 4-5 long rows, with thin lines of cardboard acting as boundary walls.
- Place three candles at equal distance from each other and light them up.
- Ask kids to stand at the starting head of the table and try to blow the candles.
- They will get one turn to blow out all the candles.
- Similarly, place a ping pong ball at the starting line.
- Kids will then blow on the ball and see whose ball goes the farthest.
The activity enables them to understand how different mediums are affected by the same pressure of the wind. The activity also helps inculcate a feeling of participation and goodwill among the kids. To understand more about the wind, they will be able to improve their practical learning skills.
6. Blow and Paint
Using wind to make a drawing is a very unique and artistic approach for kids to understand the science behind wind. Using different watercolor paints, straw, and colored paper, kids can make creative paintings using just the wind.
- To start, kids will choose a piece of colored paper of their choice.
- Mix the paints with a little water to make their consistency thin and easy to work with.
- Use a spoon to drop the paint on the paper.
- Then use the straw and blow in it all around and navigate the movement of the paint.
- Turning the paper, they can blow to the paint in many ways and give it a haphazard shape.
- Once the paint is dried up, they can use a pencil or sketch pen to draw something over it.
Visual art is integral for kids as it involves the mind, body, and emotions working together. It will charge up the kid’s full brain and link cognitive and motor skills as well as emotions into one beautiful and sometimes messy piece of art.
7. My Wind Fan
Presenting a creative activity for students where they create their own fan to experience the pressure of wind during different timings. The materials required in this activity include colorful paper and a stick.
- To conduct this activity, ask students to make a wind fan with colorful paper.
- Guide them to make different folds after watching the teacher.
- Once done, ask them to attach the stick that can make the fan stand
- After this, ask students to take these paper fans at home and watch how they move when the wind flows.
Such activity is colorful and children get to observe how wind flows at certain times while it doesn’t necessarily flow all day. The activity enables them to understand the basic difference between wind and air.
Conclusion
When students perform activities on their own, they can retain the concepts for a longer period of time. Furthermore, the concepts are understood practically and realistically, making the learning more fruitful and efficient. These activities will also promote self-learning and individuality which will further motivate them. Wind activities encourage kids to be creative in the way they express their ideas and understand concepts.
Additionally, activities also provide them the opportunity to express what they have learned through the act of participating in the activities as well as peer discussion. The key to efficient understanding is to encourage patience when they are learning. It is okay to be abstract, random, and sometimes silly too. Let their imaginations roam and remember, that everyone is an artist.