Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
My Weather Watch: Free Printable Chart for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
My Weather Watch is a free printable weather chart for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children look outside each day and fill in a table about the sky and what they wore. They then tick the clues they spot and draw in the boxes. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children become weather watchers. They fill in a table with the day, the sky today and what they wore. Then they tick clues for things they might see outside, such as wet ground, a shadow or someone in a coat or hat. Two drawing boxes finish the sheet. One is for the sky today and one is for a sign of the season outside.
- Day
- Sky today
- What I wore
- I saw a puddle or wet ground.
- I saw a shadow.
- I saw someone in a coat or hat.
- Draw the sky today
- Draw a sign of the season outside
Getting ready to watch the weather
Pick a spot
Choose one window, doorstep or playground corner to look from each day. Looking from the same place makes the days easier to compare.
Pick a time
Fill in one row each day at the same time. Morning before school or after lunch both work. A regular time makes it feel like a routine.
Make a word bank
Write words such as sunny, cloudy, rainy and windy on a small card. Children can copy them into the table and add their own.
Look first, then write
Ask your child to go and look before they pick a word or tick a clue. The sheet works best when it records what is really outside.
Why watch the weather?
Weather is what the sky and air are doing outside today. It can change from morning to afternoon, and from one day to the next. In the United Kingdom it changes often, so there is nearly always something new to notice. Children can see it for themselves without any equipment, which makes it a very friendly place to start geography.
Looking at weather day after day teaches children to observe carefully and record what they find. A table helps them see that information can be collected and kept in order. Over time they begin to notice patterns, such as how the weather and the clothes people wear change as the seasons change. That link between weather and seasons is part of Key Stage 1 geography.
Never look straight at the Sun, even on a bright day and even for a moment. Children can judge a sunny sky by the light and the shadows around them. Adults should remind them to stay safe in all weather, and to come indoors if it is stormy.
Weather facts for curious children
- Clouds are made of very tiny drops of water, or tiny bits of ice, floating in the air.
- A shadow forms when something blocks the light.
- Shadows change length and direction during the day because the Sun seems to move across the sky.
- The United Kingdom has four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
- Wind is moving air. We cannot see it, but we can see what it moves, such as leaves, flags and branches.
Skills and curriculum link
- Observing weather
- Recording in a table
- Using weather words
- Noticing seasons
- Drawing from observation
Ideas to help you talk about weather
- Weather wordsWeather has many describing words. Sunny, cloudy, rainy and windy are a good start. Add foggy, frosty, snowy, misty and stormy when children are ready.
- Weather and seasonsEach season has a typical feel, but days can surprise us. A cold day can happen in a warm season. Talk about what usually happens and what you actually saw.
- Clues all aroundWeather leaves clues. Wet ground, moving trees, shadows and the clothes people wear all tell us something. Ask your child what clues they can find.
- Same time, fair comparisonLooking at the same time each day is a fair way to collect information. It helps children compare one day with another.
Key words
- WeatherWhat the sky and air are like outside today.
- SeasonOne of the four parts of the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
- ShadowA dark shape made when something blocks the light.
- TableA grid of rows and columns that keeps information in order.
- ObserveTo look carefully and notice what is there.
- RecordTo write down or draw what you have found.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Look outside together the first time. Talk about the sky and choose words to describe it.
- Fill in one row each day at the same time. Then tick the clues your child really spots, and draw in the boxes.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "What made you choose that?" Their reasons matter as much as their words.
- Come back to the sheet on another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Offer a word bank of sunny, cloudy, rainy and windy. Let your child draw weather symbols instead of writing words. Stand at the window together and talk through what you can see before they fill in the row. Praise careful looking.
To stretch confident children
Ask which season it is and why. Compare the days you have recorded and talk about which felt warmest and which felt coldest. Ask your child to explain how they know, using clues from the table and their drawings.
Make it a game
Play weather charades. One person acts out a weather word without speaking, such as shivering, shading eyes or holding up an umbrella. The others guess the word. Take turns, and add each new word to your word bank.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child fills in the table from memory or by guessing, without looking outside.
Try thisGo to the window or door together first. Ask, "What can you see in the sky right now?" Then let them choose the words.
Watch forA child writes only "good" or "bad" weather.
Try thisExplain that weather words say what the weather is like, not whether we like it. Use the word bank and ask what they can see, hear or feel.
Watch forA child ticks a clue because it feels likely, without having spotted it.
Try thisAsk them to point to it. Only tick a clue that you can both see. It is fine to leave a box empty on some days.
Talk about it
- What can you see in the sky right now?
- What clues tell you about the weather without going outside?
- Why did you choose those clothes today?
- How is today different from yesterday?
- What sign of the season did you draw, and why?
- What do you think the weather will be like tomorrow?
Take it off the page
Weather window
Draw the view from your window on a piece of paper. Add the weather you can see, then write a describing word underneath.
Wind watch
Go outside with a ribbon or a strip of paper. Hold it up and watch what it does. Talk about how the wind is moving it.
Shadow hunt
On a bright day, look for shadows outdoors. Talk about their shapes and where they fall. Remind children never to look at the Sun.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first row, then let them lead. Keep it relaxed. A few moments at the window each day is enough. Praise careful looking, and ask them to explain their choices.
Teachers
Use it as a daily routine, a starter, or a display project across a week or more. It links neatly to work on seasons and everyday weather. Pairs can share one window and compare their entries.
Home educators
Pin the sheet near a window and make the weather row part of your daily routine. It pairs well with walks, garden time and books about the seasons. Print again for brothers and sisters, or to record a different week.
Where this fits in learning
Before this sheet, children have usually talked about the weather in everyday ways, such as whether it is wet or sunny. They have also learned simple words for the seasons and noticed what people wear in different weather.
After it, children can compare weather over longer periods and look more closely at how seasons change daylight, temperature and the world outside. They can also use simple tables and pictograms to record and share what they find, which builds skills for later geography and maths.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is My Weather Watch for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Younger children can join in with help, and older children can use the stretch ideas on page 2.
- What will children practise?
Children observe everyday weather, record it in a table and use weather words. They also draw a sign of the season. It supports the Key Stage 1 geography strand on weather and how it links to the seasons.
- How do I use it?
Print one sheet. Fill in one row each day at the same time, then tick the clues and draw in the boxes. Page 1 is for the child and page 2 is for the grown-up.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Offer a word bank of sunny, cloudy, rainy and windy, and let them draw symbols instead of writing. Look outside together first, and talk about what you can see before they fill anything in.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another week of weather watching.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. It works as a daily routine, a starter, a homework task or a display project. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add colour with pencils or crayons if they like, especially in the drawing boxes.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.