Forecast: Curiosity! Little Hive Girls Explore the Weather

Little Hive teachers Ms. Hollingsworth and Ms. Aguilar followed our youngest girls’ interest in the weather to expand their scientific knowledge and various skills, from creativity to storytelling to fine motor skills.
This is a narrative of what Ms. Hollingsworth and Ms. Aguilar’s Little Hive girls have been working on this spring..

In our early childhood classroom, our 2- and 3-year-old girls developed a fascination with weather, inspired by the unpredictable conditions we experienced in Memphis all within the same week, including cold temperatures, warm sunshine, tornadoes, and flooding. During circle time, one girl prompted us with the question, “What is the weather?” This sparked a lively discussion about the various weather conditions we encounter in Memphis and eventually led to conversations about the seasons. We then read the book, The Weather Girls, which explores the different types of weather.

We transformed our dramatic play area into a weather reporting studio, where the girls enthusiastically report the weather each day to their families via the class Instagram account. Together, we observed the day's weather, fostering collaboration and language development. Additionally, we created a map of the United States and attached different loose parts to construct a realistic weather map. The girls enjoyed pretending to research weather topics using keyboards and had fun recording their weather reports with a microphone and camera we crafted from loose parts collected around our classroom. This exploration has not only enriched their vocabulary but also engaged them in creative play and real-world observation.

 
In addition, we began learning weather vocabulary in both English and Spanish: sunny (“soleado”), rainy (“lluvioso”), cloudy (“nublado”), snowing (“nevando”), and windy (“hace viento”). This led the girls to discuss weather using the Spanish terms they have learned. Some girls even decided to report the weather using their new Spanish vocabulary.

One girl asked, “Why has it not snowed for a long time?” In response to her question, we read the story, A Stroll Through the Seasons, where the characters explore each season and discover the weather and what happens during that time. For instance, in spring, the weather begins to get warmer, accompanied by lots of rain and blooming flowers.

Skills Practiced: Observation, Questioning, Collaboration, Storytelling, Creativity, Public speaking, Imagination, and Fine Motor Skills

We also read the book, The Little Cloud, which describes how the little cloud transforms into different shapes in the sky. For example, the cloud takes the form of an airplane, a sheep, and a rabbit. We took our girls to the field to look at the clouds to see what they could imagine.

Girls’ observations of cloud shapes included a ladybug and a bird.

What normally would be seen as a gloomy day gave us the perfect chance to take the girls out to play in the rain! Their faces showed pure joy and excitement as they splashed through puddles and laughed alongside their friends. Isn’t that what learning is all about?

This is a strong example of how our early childhood teachers follow the Reggio Emilia style, engaging the girls through hands-on projects and real-life experiences that are relevant to them. Following our girls’ natural curiosity and sense of wonder sets them up for future academic success and a lifelong love of learning.

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Hutchison School

1740 Ridgeway Road
Memphis, Tennessee 38119
Phone: (901) 761-2220

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Hutchison is the leading private girls school in Memphis for ages 2 years old through twelfth grade.