The year is divided into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter. Each season has its own typical weather. Spring is mild and often rainy, with plants starting to grow. Summer is warm or hot with long, sunny days. Autumn brings cooler temperatures and changing leaf colors. Winter is cold, with short days and sometimes snow. The seasons follow the same order every year.
Use a seasons wheel or circular calendar to show how the four seasons cycle. Collect photos or drawings representing each season. Connect seasons to children's lived experiences -- clothing changes, holiday associations, outdoor activities, what they see in their yard or neighborhood. Seasonal nature walks highlight real changes.
If you pay attention to the weather over a whole year, you will notice a big pattern: the year naturally divides into four seasons. Each season has its own personality -- its own typical weather, its own look, and its own feel.
Spring is the season of waking up. After the cold of winter, temperatures start to warm. Days get longer. Snow melts, rain falls, and plants begin to grow. You will see green buds on trees, flowers pushing up from the ground, and birds returning from warmer places. Spring feels fresh and new.
Summer is the warmest season. The sun is high in the sky and shines for more hours each day than in any other season. Trees are fully green, flowers bloom, and the days are long and bright. Summer is when people swim, play outside until late, and enjoy the warm weather.
Autumn (also called fall) is when things start to cool down. Days get shorter and nights get longer. Many trees change color -- their leaves turn yellow, orange, and red before falling off. Animals start preparing for winter by gathering food or growing thicker fur. The air feels crisp, and you start wearing warmer clothes again.
Winter is the coldest season. Days are short and nights are long. In many places, snow covers the ground and temperatures drop below freezing. Many trees are bare, and some animals hibernate or move to warmer areas. People bundle up in coats, hats, and gloves. Then, after winter passes, spring returns -- and the whole cycle starts again. It happens every single year, in the same order, without fail.