Weather Mats

Rosey | Posted on March 19, 2020 |

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These frog pond mats are a fun addition to science centers in preschool or kindergarten. They help kids learn about common weather symbols and are a fun way to develop fine motor skills too!

In my class, I integrate learning about the weather into my morning circle routine. I start by introducing the role of a “Weather Watcher”using my Classroom Jobs Chart. Then I ask the student doing this job to look outside the window to observe the weather and then record it on a chart.

Science Center Work Mats

The following work mats are a fun addition to science centers. They can be used as pencil control or playdough mats. Alternatively, you could use them as counting mats by asking the kids to count bath toys (such as frogs or ducks) onto the pond.

Preparation – Begin by printing and laminating the mats for added durability. Another option is to place the mats inside a a dry erase pocket sleeve. After that, you’ll also need to grab some erasable markers and playdough.

Activity 1 – Pencil Control

How to Play – First read the weather word on the log. Next, grab an erasable marker and trace over the weather symbol. Before getting a new mat, the kids could also count some frogs onto the pond and write the number somewhere on the mat.

Activity 2 – Playdough

Instructions – Look at the weather symbol and read the weather word on the log. Then create that weather symbol out of playdough.

Tip – It’s useful to stick to one or two playdough colors at a time, preferably two colors that are complementary if they’re mixed together such as yellow and blue! :)

<<You can grab these free mats by clicking on the download button at the bottom of this page.>>

Weather Sorting Mats

You may also love the following activity. These sorting mats help kids learn about different types of weather using real world photos. You can check them out here.