Keep kids learning and crafting no matter the weather! Explore over 20 fun weather activities for kids, including crafts, printables, and games for home or classroom.
Weather Crafts for Kids
Weather is something kids experience every single day, which makes it one of the easiest science topics for them to understand.
When children observe rain, clouds, wind, and snow through hands-on activities, they begin to connect what they see outside with how the world works.
These weather crafts help kids build early science skills like observation, comparison, prediction, and describing changes over time. They also encourage important learning skills such as following directions, fine motor practice, and creative thinking.
Below you’ll find a collection of weather-themed crafts and printable activities you can use at home, in classrooms, or as part of a seasonal learning unit.
The projects are organized by weather type so you can easily find activities that match what children are learning about right now.
Rain & Cloud Crafts
Rain is often the first type of weather children notice and talk about.
Crafting rainbows, umbrellas, and clouds helps kids understand that rainy weather brings different sky colors, puddles, and changes in the air.
Rainbow + Cloud Name Craft
A simple rainbow cloud craft where kids build rainbows and clouds around their name. It’s great for learning letters and weather vocabulary simultaneously.
📚 Book pairing: The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi tells the story of a girl who worries others won’t be able to pronounce her name after moving to a new school; until she discovers how meaningful it truly is. After reading, kids can proudly build their rainbow cloud and practice spelling their own names, reinforcing identity and self-confidence through art and literacy.
- Skills Learned: Letter recognition, fine motor practice, color exploration.
See the full Rainbow Cloud Name Craft →
Cloud Suncatcher Craft
Add a little magic to your windows with this easy Cloud Suncatcher Craft! Kids use tissue paper and contact paper to make bright, glowing clouds. It’s perfect for exploring weather concepts or just having fun with a rainy day activity.
📚 Book pairing: Cloud Boy by Greg Stobbs playful children’s picture book about a cloud‑boy who creates cloud shapes (like butterflies, boats, and animals) and delights children on the ground with his sky creations.
- Skills learned: Fine motor practice, color recognition, following steps, and creativity.
See the full Cloud Suncatcher Craft here →
Rainbow Heart Name Craft
A cheerful heart-shaped rainbow name craft perfect for rainy days or Valentine’s weather themes.
📚 Book pairing: In Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault, letters race up a coconut tree in a lively rhyming story that helps children recognize and remember the alphabet. After reading, kids can build their rainbow name by placing each letter in order, reinforcing letter sequencing and name spelling in a colorful hands-on way.
- Skills Learned: Letter formation, color sorting, pattern recognition.
See the full Rainbow Heart Name Craft →
Umbrella Name Craft
This umbrella craft turns kids’ names into umbrellas. It’s an easy and playful way to reinforce name recognition and weather vocabulary.
📚 Book pairing: The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates shares a heartwarming message about making room for everyone as animals and people gather together under one umbrella in the rain. After reading, kids can create their own umbrella and add raindrops with the letters of their name, turning the craft into a celebration of belonging and classroom community.
- Skills Learned: Name practice, fine motor skills, sequencing.
See the full Umbrella Name Craft →
Rainbow Suncatcher Craft
Cut, color, and assemble a rainbow suncatcher. It’s a bright project that brings sunshine to gloomy days.
📚 Book pairing: In A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman, a young boy imagines catching and keeping a rainbow after a rainy day. After reading, children can create their own rainbow suncatcher and watch sunlight shine through it, bringing the story to life right in their window.
- Skills Learned: Color order, cutting skills, light exploration, patterns.
See the full Rainbow Suncatcher Craft →
Rainbow Lacing Craft
Make learning about weather hands-on and fun with this Rainbow Lacing Craft! 🌦️ Kids can create their own rainbow while exploring the science of rain and sunshine.
📚Book Pairing: A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman is a charming story about a little boy who finds a rainbow, inspiring curiosity about weather and colors.
- Skills Developed: Fine motor control, Sequencing and following directions, Color matching, Observation and creativity,
See the rainbow lacing craft here →
Classic Rainbow Name Craft
A beloved twist on name crafts, this rainbow name craft helps kids learn letter placement and color order.
📚 Book pairing: Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert explores how flowers are planted in rainbow order, helping children visualize colors from red through violet in a real “rainbow” garden. After reading, kids can practice spelling their names using the colors of the rainbow, connecting the idea of colorful sequencing in nature to arranging the letters in their own rainbow craft.
- Skills Learned: Letter recognition, sequencing, color awareness.
See the full Rainbow Name Craft →
Torn Paper Rainbow Craft
Kids tear colored paper to make a torn paper rainbow collage. It’s great for sensory play and color exploration.
📚 Book pairing: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister is a classic tale about beauty, sharing, and making meaningful connections with others. After reading, children can create their own torn paper rainbow, practicing color recognition and fine motor skills while thinking about what makes each of us unique and special.
- Skills Learned: Fine motor control, color identification, creative expression.
See the full Torn Paper Rainbow Craft →
Cloud Name Craft
An adorable cloud name project where letters rest on fluffy clouds. It’s the perfect craft for practicing names and weather words.
📚 Book pairing: Little Cloud by Eric Carle invites kids to watch clouds float and shift into whimsical shapes in the sky. After reading, children can use those sky images as inspiration while spelling their own names with cloud pieces; blending early literacy with weather observation and imagination.
- Skills Learned: Letter formation, vocabulary, sensory art.
See the full Cloud Name Craft →
Rainbow Mosaic Craft
Use small paper pieces to build a rainbow mosaic. It’s a calm, focused activity that builds patience and pattern recognition.
📚 Book pairing: My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss uses playful rhymes and vibrant illustrations to link different colors with feelings and moods, helping young readers explore the rainbow in a fun, expressive way. After reading, kids can create their own rainbow mosaic craft; choosing colored pieces just like the book celebrates each hue.
- Skills Learned: Patterns, color sorting, focus + patience.
See the full Rainbow Mosaic Craft →
Pro Tip: After making a craft, talk about the weather outside — are there clouds? Is it raining? What colors do you see in the sky today? What weather predictions can we make about the weather based on what we see?
These activities work well when discussing:
- what clouds look like before rain
- why rainbows appear after storms
- how rain helps plants grow
Wind & Breezy Day Crafts
Mosaic Kite Craft
Celebrate breezy days and sunny skies with this playful mosaic kite craft! Kids can create their own patterned kites while learning about wind, weather, and outdoor fun. Perfect for hands-on, screen-free weather-themed activities for preschoolers and elementary-aged kids.
📚Book pairing: Kite Day by Will Hillenbrand Celebrates the joy of flying kites with this playful, bright, and whimsical story! 🪁 Kids will love reading about a lively day of kite flying, and then making their own colorful mosaic kites to bring the story to life. This pairing is perfect for hands-on weather fun, outdoor play, and a little screen-free creativity.
Skills Learned: Patterns, color sorting, focus + patience.
See the full Kite Mosaic Craft →
Snow & Winter Weather Crafts
Winter weather gives kids a chance to explore freezing temperatures, snow crystals, and seasonal changes.
Creating snow-themed crafts helps children understand that weather behaves differently depending on temperature.
These winter crafts help children explore cold weather, snowfall, and how animals and people adapt to winter temperatures. They’re perfect for a weather unit, winter theme, or learning about seasonal climate changes.
Snow & Ice Weather Crafts
Snowflake Mosaic Craft
Create a textured mosaic snowflake craft while discussing how every snowflake forms differently during freezing temperatures.
📚 Book pairing: The Snowy Day Ezra Jack Keats celebrates the simple joy of snow through Peter’s playful adventures in a fresh winter landscape. After reading, kids can bring that snowy awonder back inside by assembling their own snowflake mosaics; imagining each one as a unique piece of a snowy scene just like in the story.
- Skills Learned: fine motor control, pattern recognition, early science concepts
See the full Snowflake Mosaic Craft →
Torn Paper Snowflake Craft
A simple torn paper snowflake activity introducing ice crystals forming in cold clouds.
📚 Book pairing: Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin shares the inspiring true story of a man who believed no two snowflakes are alike — and set out to prove it. After reading, kids can create their own torn paper snowflakes, celebrating the beauty and uniqueness of winter weather in every piece they make.
- Skills Learned: hand strength, tearing control, spatial awareness
See the full Torn Paper Snowflake Craft →
Fork Painted Snowflakes Craft
Kids paint unique snowflakes while learning no two snow crystals fall exactly the same.
📚 Book pairing: Snow by Uri Shulevitz follows a boy’s delight as the first flakes turn a familiar city into a snowy wonderland. After reading, children can create their own textured fork‑painted snowflakes, bringing that same sense of winter magic to life on paper.
- Skills Learned: creative expression, sensory exploration, process art
See the full Fork Painted Snowflake Craft→
Snowflake Suncatcher Craft
A bright window decoration reinforcing how snow reflects sunlight in winter. This snowflake suncatcher is a great craft for discussing winter weather topics.
📚 Book pairing: All the Little Snowflakes by Cindy Jin joyfully celebrates snowflakes as each one gently floats down, sparkling and different from the rest. After reading, children can make their own snowflake suncatcher and watch how their creations catch the light just like snowflakes in the sky.
- Skills Learned: color recognition, light observation, visual discrimination
See the full Snowflake Suncatcher Craft →
Winter Clothing & Staying Warm
Mitten Mosaic Craft
Talk about why we wear mittens in freezing weather and how they trap body heat while making a mitten mosaic craft. A great lesson about cold weather and clothing association.
📚 Book pairing: The Mitten by Jan Brett follows a lost mitten that becomes a cozy hideout for a growing group of woodland animals in the snow. After reading, children can make their own mitten mosaic craft, imagining fun winter stories of snug mittens and snowy play while they piece together bright colors and shapes.
- Skills Learned: shape matching, fine motor precision, sequencing
See the full Mitten Mosaic Craft →
Mitten Suncatcher Craft
Connect winter clothing to cold outdoor temperatures using a mitten suncatcher craft. A great way to spark meaningful conversations about which clothes are appropriate for different types of weather.
📚 Book pairing: Snowy Mittens: A Winter Adventure celebrates the joy of winter play and the cozy comfort mittens bring on a snowy day. After reading, kids can make their own mitten suncatcher, imagining how their colorful creations might catch the light just like real mittens do when they’re out playing in the snow.
- Skills Learned: scissor skills, color sorting, planning
See the full Mitten Suncatcher Craft →
Mitten Name Craft
A personalized mitten craft paired with dressing for snowy weather.
📚 Book pairing: In A Mountain of Mittens by Lynn Plourde, a growing pile of lost mittens becomes a silly school‑wide problem that kids and teachers work together to solve. After reading, children can make their own mitten name craft, imagining their mittens as part of a playful winter collection.
- Skills Learned: name recognition, letter identification, early literacy
See the full Mitten Name Craft →
Winter Hat Name Craft
This hat name craft helps children understand how hats prevent heat loss during winter. A great springboard for activities about clothing and weather.
📚 Book pairing: Jennie’s Hat by Ezra Jon Keats follows Jennie as she finds ways to make her plain hat special with creative help from the world around her. It’s a perfect lead‑in to the winter hat name craft. After reading, children can decorate their own winter hat with their name, making it just as personal and imaginative as Jennie’s.
- Skills Learned: spelling practice, letter order, phonics awareness
See the full Winter Hat Name Craft →
Arctic & Cold-Climate Animals
Toilet Paper Roll Polar Bear
Introduce how polar bears survive icy habitats and thick snow. This toilet paper roll polar bear is a great starting point for an investigation of animal adaptations and weather.
📚 Book pairing: A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett follows a lone polar bear as it travels through icy snowfields and sparkling Arctic scenes, inspiring wonder in young readers about polar life and winter weather. After reading, kids can create their own toilet paper roll polar bear, bringing the story’s snowy world to life with hands‑on art and imaginative play.
- Skills Learned: 3D construction, fine motor skills, problem solving, science vocabulary
See the full Toilet Paper Roll Polar Bear Craft →
Torn Paper Polar Bear Craft
A great cold climate animal craft for discussing camouflage in snowy environments.
📚 Book pairing: Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer shares the snowy Arctic adventures of Lars the polar bear and his new friend, highlighting bravery and friendship in chilly weather. After reading, kids can create their own torn paper polar bear, imagining the snowy landscape and frosty habitat where these amazing animals live.
- Skills Learned: tearing control, texture exploration, observation
See the full Torn Paper Polar Bear →
Torn Paper Penguin Craft
Learn why penguins live in cold climates and how they stay warm by combining discussion and torn paper penguin art.
📚 Book pairing: Little Penguins by Cynthia Rylant tells the tale of five little penguins gearing up for a snowy day of winter adventure, from mittens and scarves to brave waddles in the snow. After reading, kids can create their own torn paper penguin craft, imagining their cozy penguin friends in the frosty weather just like in the book.
- Skills Learned: bilateral coordination, shape building, focus
See the full Torn Paper Penguin Craft →
Toilet Paper Roll Penguin Craft
Pairs with lessons about icy habitats and freezing temperatures. This cute toilet paper roll penguin is a great way to explore arctic animal habitats.
📚 Book pairing: 365 Penguins by Jean‑Luc Fromental and Joëlle Jolivet tells the hilarious story of a family who receives a penguin every day for a year; turning their home upside down with waddling, sliding fun. After reading, kids can make their own toilet paper roll penguin craft and imagine their penguin joining the quirky crew in the book’s snowy adventures.
- Skills Learned: sequencing steps, spatial planning, independence
See the full Toilet Paper Roll Penguin Craft →
Newspaper Penguin Craft
Connect texture and color to animal adaptation in snow. This newspaper penguin craft sparks conversation about weather patterns and phenomenon in the arctic.
📚 Book pairing: Penguin on Vacation by Salina Yoon follows a lovable little penguin who decides to take a vacation, but ends up learning that home is the best place of all. After reading, kids can make their own newspaper penguin craft, imagining where their penguin might be headed on its snowy adventures just like the story’s penguin.
Skills Learned: material exploration, creativity, fine motor skills
See the full Newspaper Penguin Craft →
Arctic Animal Suncatchers
Explore multiple animals that live in freezing weather conditions. This arctic animal suncatchers craft can spark discussions about weather phenomenon’s in arctic regions.
📚 Book pairing: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. introduces young readers to a variety of bold animals like a polar bear, walrus, and more. Through rhythmic text and engaging sound prompts. After reading, kids can create their own Arctic animal suncatchers, imagining the snowy world of the Arctic and the unique creatures that live there as they watch their suncatchers sparkle in the light.
Skills Learned: comparing differences, categorizing, visual perception
See the full Arctic Animal Suncatchers Craft →
Snowy Weather Imagination Play
Snow Globe Photo Craft
Place children inside a snowy scene while talking about snowfall and winter storms. This snow globe craft is also a wonderful opportunity to discuss appropriate clothing, animals and possible vegetation.
- Skills Learned: self-identity, storytelling, imaginative play
See the full Snow Globe Photo Name Craft →
While making these crafts, kids can talk about:
- how snow forms
- what makes ice melt
- how animals survive cold weather
Hot Weather Crafts
These summer and warm‑weather activities help kids explore sunshine, seasonal symbols, and summertime fun while building early literacy, fine motor, creativity, and observation skills.
Sandcastle Name Craft
Create a sandy name craft that brings summer beach play inside. It’s perfect for warm weather themes.
📚 Book pairing: A Day for Sandcastles by JonArno Lawson follows a sun‑splashed day at the beach where children work together to build sandcastles again and again, embracing creativity, cooperation, and persistence with every tower and turret. After reading, kids can create their own sandcastle name craft, imagining their names as part of sunny beach fun and sandy adventures just like in the book.
- Skills Learned: letter recognition, fine motor skills, sequencing
See the full Sandcastle Name Craft here →
Torn Paper Sun Craft
Kids tear colored paper to make a bright torn paper sun. This is a great way to talk about sunshine and warm weather.
📚 Book pairing: A Day for Sandcastles by Jonarno Lawson follows a sun‑splashed day at the beach where children work together to build sandcastles again and again, embracing creativity, cooperation, and persistence with every tower and turret. After reading, kids can create their own sandcastle name craft, imagining their names as part of sunny beach fun and sandy adventures just like in the book.
- Skills Learned: fine motor control, color awareness, texture exploration
See the full Torn Paper Sun Craft →
Popsicle Name Craft
Cool off creativity with a popsicle‑inspired name craft, tying summer symbols to literacy.
📚 Book pairing: Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sís celebrates sunny days and everyone’s favorite cool treats with vibrant illustrations and a breezy, joyful tone. After reading, kids can make their own popsicle name craft, imagining all the fun of summer while decorating a cool frozen treat with their name on it.
- Skills Learned: letter formation, pattern recognition, planning
See the full Popsicle Name Craft →
Torn Paper Watermelon Craft
A juicy torn paper watermelon collage helps kids welcome summer produce while building fine motor skills. A great starting point for discussions about how weather impact growing food.
📚 Book pairing: The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli follows a crocodile who loves watermelon but fears what will happen if he accidentally swallows a seed! The silly, bold illustrations and humorous story make it a fun read before creating a torn paper watermelon craft, where kids can explore the colors and shapes of watermelon while imagining their own juicy summer treat.
- Skills Learned: tearing control, color recognition, shape composition
See the full Torn Paper Watermelon Craft →
Sun Name Craft
A cheerful name craft shaped like the sun. It’s great for weather units focusing on hot weather and sunshine.
📚 Book pairing: The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk explains all the amazing jobs the sun does from giving us warm days and sunlight to keeping Earth’s weather moving and life thriving. After reading, kids can make their own sun name craft, imagining how their bright, sunny creation helps warm the world just like the real sun in the story.
- Skills Learned: name practice, uppercase/lowercase matching, creative expression
Pool Float Craft
A fun pool craft that provides a natural opportunity to explore heat, water play, and summer safety. This is all tied to understanding hot weather conditions.
📚 Book pairing: Our Pool by Lucy Ruth Cummins celebrates a joyful pool day where friends, family, and neighbors of all ages gather for splashing, swimming, and summer fun in the sunshine. After reading, kids can make their own pool float craft and imagine their float drifting among all the happy swimmers; bringing the bright, splashy energy of the story right into their art.
- Skills Learned: fine motor, spatial planning, weather discussion (heat/sun), creative thinking
See the full Pool Float Name Craft →
Watermelon Name Craft
A summery watermelon name craft combining literacy and seasonal visuals.
- Skills Learned: letter placement, sequencing, color matching
See the full Watermelon Name Craft →
Palm Tree Name Craft
Perfect for tropical weather themes this palm tree craft allows children to build their names into a palm tree scene.
📚 Book pairing: Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies follows a group of fun‑loving bats as they enjoy a moonlit beach night full of sand, surf, and seaside fun. It’s a creative twist on traditional beach stories. After reading, kids can make their own palm tree name craft, imagining palm trees swaying under the sun (or moon) by the water, just like the seaside setting in the book.
- Skills Learned: letter positioning, visual planning, fine motor practice
See the full Palm Tree Name Craft →
Weather Learning Activities & Printable Games
In addition to crafts, printable weather activities help children practice recognizing patterns and describing daily weather conditions. These are especially helpful for classrooms, morning bins, centers, and quiet time learning.
These activities and printables help children observe, explore, and understand weather, all while building memory, fine motor, and problem-solving skills. Perfect for classroom, homeschool, or rainy day learning.
Observation & Weather Tracking
Weather Wheel Craft
Kids make a weather wheel to track daily weather changes and patterns throughout the week.
- Skills: observation, categorization, sequencing, critical thinking
See the full Weather Wheel Craft here →
Weather Worksheets
Printable weather activities for learning about clouds, precipitation, and weather vocabulary.
📚 Book pairing: Flora’s Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall and illustrated by Matt Phelan brings weather to life through the story of a breezy day that’s full of surprises as Flora and her brother are carried about by the gusts. After reading, kids can dive into weather worksheets: tracing, matching, and exploring different weather patterns and relate the playful story to real‑world weather concepts like wind and seasonal change.
- Skills Learned: literacy, science concepts, fine motor, attention to detail
See the full set of Weather Worksheets →
Memory & Matching Games
Weather Memory Game
A fun card-matching weather game with sunny, rainy, snowy, and stormy weather cards.
- Skills Learned: memory, pattern recognition, attention, visual discrimination
See the full Weather Memory Game →
Season Memory Game
Match images and names of seasons while learning seasonal weather patterns.
- Skills Learned: memory, vocabulary, observation, cognitive flexibility
See the full Season Memory Game→
Arctic Animal Memory Game
Explore polar and arctic animals while practicing memory skills with an Arctic animal memory game.
📚 Book pairing: Hello, World! Arctic Animals by Jill McDonald introduces young readers to amazing Arctic creatures like polar bears, Arctic foxes, walruses, and more. With loads of fun facts and bright illustrations this book makes learning about the frozen north exciting. After reading, kids can play the Arctic animal memory game, spotting and matching the same animals they just learned about in the story.
- Skills Learned: memory, categorization, sorting, science vocabulary
See the full Arctic Animal Memory Game →
Worksheets & Printable Games
Dot-to-Dot Animal Worksheets
Connect the dots to reveal animals from cold or winter habitats with these dot-to-dot animal worksheets.
- Skills Learned: counting, number sequencing, vocabulary, fine motor control
See the full set of Dot-to-Dot Animal Worksheets →
Arctic Animal Worksheets
Printable arctic animal pages exploring arctic habitats and weather conditions.
- Skills Learned: science vocabulary, observation, literacy, fine motor skills
See the full set of Arctic Animal Worksheets →
Summer Bingo Printable
A weather‑aware summer bingo that encourages kids to observe and identify seasonal/weather‑related events and symbols.
- Skills Learned: observation, pattern recognition, vocabulary, environmental awareness
See the full Summer Bingo Game here →
Winter Bingo
A fun winter bingo game with winter-themed images and vocabulary.
- Skills Learned: recognition, matching, focus, social play
See the full Winter Bingo Game here →
Winter Activities I-Spy
An engaging winter-themed I-Spy worksheet with winter objects and scenes.
- Skills: observation, scanning, attention to detail
See the full I Spy Winter here →
Seasonal Weather Events
Groundhog Day Prediction Activity
Kids make groundhog day predictions about the weather based on Groundhog Day lore.
- Skills Learned: forecasting, critical thinking, prediction, early science concepts
See the full Groundhog Day Prediction Activity here →
Groundhog Day Coloring Pages
A fun way to learn about seasonal weather traditions while coloring these groundhog pages.
- Skills Learned: fine motor control, observation, creativity
See the full set of Groundhog Day Coloring Pages here →
These activities support:
- vocabulary building (sunny, cloudy, windy, stormy)
- matching and sorting skills
- noticing changes from day to day
Extend the Learning
Weather crafts are even more meaningful when kids connect them to real life. After completing an activity, try one of these simple learning extensions:
- Look outside and describe the sky
- Predict tomorrow’s weather
- Track the weather for a week
- Compare warm and cold days
- Talk about what people wear in different weather
These conversations help children move from crafting to understanding.
Using Weather Activities Throughout the Year
Weather learning doesn’t need to be limited to one season. You can revisit these activities whenever the weather changes; rainy days in spring, hot sunny days in summer, windy fall afternoons, and snowy winter mornings.
Repeating the topic over time helps kids notice patterns and build real scientific thinking skills while still having fun creating.
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