Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Seasons and Weather Chart: Free Printable Chart for Reception
- ForReception
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Seasons and Weather Chart is a free printable chart for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Children look outside, tick the weather for the day, and say the weather word aloud. At the end of the week they can name the season. It takes about 5 minutes each day, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas and a stretch task.
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 fill in a simple table. There is a column for the day, then a column each for sunny, cloudy, rainy and windy. Each day they look outside, decide what the weather is and tick the right column. They say the weather word as they tick. There are also lines for writing, so children can name the season and add words of their own.
- Day
- Sunny
- Cloudy
- Rainy
- Windy
Making a weather habit
Pick a daily moment
Choose the same time each day, such as before breakfast or just after arriving at school. A regular moment makes the chart quick and easy to remember.
Go to the window first
Stand at a window or door together. Ask your child what they can see in the sky and what the trees or washing are doing. Then they tick.
Say it aloud
Say the weather word as the tick goes in. Hearing and saying words like cloudy and windy helps them stick.
Look back together
At the end of the week, run a finger down each column. Talk about what you notice. This turns a daily tick into a first look at a chart.
Why watch the weather?
Weather is something every child notices. It decides whether we wear a coat, play outside or splash in puddles. That makes it a friendly way to start talking about the world around us. In England the weather can change a lot from one day to the next, so there is always something new to look at.
Recording the weather also gives children an early taste of maths. They make a choice, mark it in a table and later look back to compare. Over weeks and months, they begin to see that the weather follows a pattern as the seasons come round in the same order each year.
Remind children never to look straight at the sun, even on a bright day. Look at the sky and the shadows instead. An adult should decide whether it is safe to go outside in wind or rain.
Weather facts for children
- The sun is a star. It gives us light and heat.
- Rain falls from clouds.
- Wind is air that is moving.
- We have four seasons in England, and they come round again every year.
- A rainbow can appear when sunshine and rain happen together.
Skills and curriculum link
- Observing
- Recording
- Weather words
- Ticking in a table
- Comparing amounts
Helping your child look and record
- Look before you tickAsk your child to point to the sky first. Looking carefully comes before choosing a box.
- One day, one tickEach day gets one tick for the main weather. If it changes, talk about it and agree on the weather you saw at your usual time.
- Use clear wordsSay sunny, cloudy, rainy and windy in the same way each day. Short, steady language helps young children.
- Link to real lifeAsk what the weather means for the day. Do we need a hat, a coat or wellies? This connects the chart to things they know.
Key words
- WeatherWhat the sky and air are like outside today.
- SeasonOne of the four parts of the year. Each has its own kind of weather.
- ChartA table that shows information so we can see it clearly.
- TickA mark to show your choice.
- RecordTo write or mark something down so you can remember it.
- WindyA day when the air moves fast and you can feel or see it.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
- Fill in the chart together at the same time each day. It takes about 5 minutes.
- Look outside first. Ask your child to say what they see before they tick, and say the weather word aloud.
- Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice.
- Come back to it every day for a week, then look at the whole chart together. Repeating a familiar routine builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use just two choices for the week, such as sunny and not sunny. Ask your child to point to the sky first. Say the word together as you tick. Once that feels easy, add cloudy, then rainy and windy, one at a time.
To stretch confident children
At the end of the week, count the ticks in each column. Ask which weather was most common and which was least common. Then ask your child to say how they know, by pointing to the chart.
Make it a game
Play weather charades. Act out a weather word, such as shivering in the wind or holding up an imaginary umbrella. Your child guesses the word. Then swap roles. Try to guess each other's word before you check the chart.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child ticks two columns for one day.
Try thisExplain that each day gets one tick. Look outside together and agree on the weather you can see at your usual time.
Watch forA child ticks what they hope the weather will be, or what it was yesterday.
Try thisGo to the window together each time. Ask, "What can you see right now?" before the pencil moves.
Watch forA child ticks sunny when the sky is bright but mostly covered in cloud.
Try thisPoint to the sky and ask, "Can you see the sun?" Talk about how clouds and sunshine can look different.
Talk about it
- What can you see in the sky today?
- What is the weather like right now? How do you know?
- What would you wear on a day like this?
- What is your favourite weather, and why?
- How is today different from yesterday?
- What do you think the weather will be like tomorrow?
Take it off the page
Weather window
Draw the view from a window. Add the sky, clouds, sun, rain or wind. Write the weather word underneath.
Wind watch
Hold a ribbon or a light scarf outside, with an adult beside you. Watch how it moves. Talk about what the wind is doing.
Weather dressing up
Pick clothes for sunny, rainy and windy days. Sort them into piles. Say which weather each pile is for.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first tick, then let them lead. It only takes about 5 minutes each day. Ask what they see before they choose, and keep the chart somewhere easy to reach.
Teachers
Use it as a daily routine on the carpet, a weather helper job or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a walk, garden play or a story about the seasons. Print it again for brothers and sisters, or start a new chart for a different week of the year.
Where this fits
Before this chart, children enjoy talking about the weather, counting objects and sorting things into groups. Spotting what is outside and finding the right word for it is the first step.
After it, children meet tally charts and simple pictograms, and compare amounts using words like more and fewer. In Year 1 science they go on to observe the changes across the four seasons and describe the weather linked to each.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Seasons and Weather Chart for?
It is written for Reception, ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Younger children can join in with help, and older children can use the stretch idea on page 2.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 5 minutes each day. Fill in the chart together at the same time each day. A steady daily routine works better than one long session.
- What will children practise?
Children observe the daily weather, record it with a tick, say weather words aloud and name the season. They also begin to compare amounts when they look back at the finished chart.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use just two choices for the week, such as sunny and not sunny. Ask your child to point to the sky first. Add more weather words once they feel confident.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again whenever you like, for another week, another child or a different time of year.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a daily routine, a starter, an early finisher task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas.
- Is it a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, plus a look out of the window. It works well for quiet time, wet days and school holidays. Black and white printing is fine.
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.