Has all of the crazy spring weather this month piqued your child’s interest?  Here in North Texas, we definitely see our fair share of weather excitement. We’ve had tornado warnings, threats of large hail, torrential rain, beautiful sunshine, extreme winds…sometimes all in the same day!  As a parent of a curious child, what can you do to make the most of this severe weather?

Utilize the “teachable moments!”

There are SO many things you can do at home to help your kids dig into the topic of weather.  Make a rain gauge using an empty water bottle!  Sketch clouds and discuss cloud types. Keep a family weatherboard and allow a different child to update it each day or week. Read age appropriate weather books.  Make a tornado in a mason jar. Watch weather forecast videos together and discuss how certain weather events can impact our daily lives. Allow your child to marvel at the power of nature!

Discuss your weather safety plan with your children.

This is best done when there is no threat of severe weather.  There’s definitely a fine line between preparing your kids versus scaring them into having nightmares about it, but you know your kids best.   You’ve probably identified your home’s safe room with them, which is ideally a storm shelter or lower level interior room. Have you taken it further to educate your kids about other protective measures they can do, in the event that your home is in the direct path of a violent storm? 

• • Always wear shoes (in case glass gets broken during storm)
  • Use a mattress (crib mattresses are easy to move!), heavy blankets, or sleeping bags to protect you from debris
  • Keep a “go bag” nearby with flashlights, changes of clothes, critical medications, nonperishable food items, and a basic first aid kit

Send your youngest weather watchers to camp Jr. Meteorologist this summer!  

We believe that even our youngest campers can start learning to be weather aware as early as age four.  In our Jr. Meteorologist camp, kids will learn about air pressure, weather forecasting, states of matter, anemometers, the water cycle, and many other things.  They’ll even build their very own weather station to bring home! Another favorite activity in this camp is playing with “snow” and learning about polymers. Campers wrap up their week of fun by making terrariums and making their own ice cream.  Who doesn’t love to eat ice cream on a hot summer day? Check availability for camp Jr. Meteorologist HERE.

We hope to see your future storm spotters at camp this summer, and we wish you luck in stayingsafe this spring with our unpredictable Texas weather.  Always keep an eye on the sky- things change quickly around here!