Weather is what is happening in the sky and air around us right now. It includes whether it is sunny or cloudy, hot or cold, windy or calm, and wet or dry. Weather changes from day to day and even hour to hour.
Take children outside daily and ask them to describe what they see and feel. Is the sky blue or gray? Is the air warm or cold? Is there wind? Use a simple weather chart where children draw or place icons each day to build a habit of observation.
Weather is the answer to a simple question: what is the sky doing right now? When you walk outside, you can feel whether the air is warm or cold. You can look up and see whether the sky is blue and sunny or covered with gray clouds. You can feel whether the wind is pushing against you or the air is still and calm. You might notice rain falling or snow drifting down. All of these things together make up the weather.
Weather changes all the time. This morning might have been sunny, but this afternoon might bring rain. Yesterday might have been cold, but today might feel warm. That is why people check the weather every day -- because it is different every day. Even in the same town, the morning weather and the afternoon weather can be different.
One important thing to know is that weather is not the same as climate. Weather is what happens today or this week. Climate is the pattern of weather over a very long time -- years and years. If you live somewhere that is usually hot and dry, that is the climate. But even in a hot, dry place, some days it rains. That rainy day is the weather; the usual hot and dry pattern is the climate.
You are already a weather observer. Every time you look outside and decide whether to wear a jacket or bring an umbrella, you are paying attention to the weather. Scientists who study weather do the same thing you do -- they look, they measure, and they keep track of what happens in the sky.
This is a foundational topic with no prerequisites.
No prerequisites — this is a starting point.