Call to Action

The Wonders of the Sky

by Rae Pica

 Want your child to appreciate the wonders of nature? Start with the sky! Following are three activities that will familiarize your child with various scientific elements related to the sky: 

Clouds. Ask your child for his impression of clouds. How many different kinds has he seen? What does he think clouds are made of? Then ask him to move like the following: 

• Big fluffy clouds
• Wispy clouds
• Dark storm clouds
• Clouds drifting and slowly changing shape 

If you have a group of children playing together, ask each child to begin as a single cloud and then gradually drift towards other children, moving together and apart to form larger and then smaller clouds. Sometimes two “clouds” will drift together to form a floating shape; other times, larger groups of clouds will join and separate. 

After this activity, take your child outside for some “cloud appreciation.” Ask her what kinds of clouds she sees, what color they are, and at what speed they’re moving. Then lie down and look for objects and animals! 

Over the Rainbow. Talk to your child about rainbows. Then invite him to make the shape of a rainbow with his body. Can he do it both while standing up and lying down? With how many body parts can he form the shape of a rainbow? 

Sunrise and Sunset. After discussing the rising and setting of the sun, invite your child to get into a very small shape on one side of the room or yard. She then pretends to be the sun slowly rising over the horizon. Once she’s fully “risen,” she moves in very slow motion – shining all the while – across the “sky” (to the other side of the room or yard) and begins setting, until the sun is no longer in sight!