Focus on Fostering: Weather Reward Chart

So, are you tired of sticker charts and math flash cards? Entice your children with the responsibility of a weather chart.  Make a chart that tracks information each day about the weather.  Maybe just sun, rain or both for little kiddos, add temperatures at a certain time of day for older kids, or wind, or other details, based on their age.

Yesterday I talked about getting your kids to follow routines, be accountable, and to observe, think and record. Challenge them to keep a daily record of the weather details you have chosen.  They are to go/look outside at a certain time/s of day, observe the conditions, come back and record it on the chart you have either made together or given them.  A weeklong simple sheet is seen
at right, but you can also make one yourself that involves the child being more involved in the recording and the choices on a grid or table.

For younger children: You can have them either draw a picture or circle a picture to record their results or simplify it even further.  For example on the four image choice chart at left, they could put a sticker, star, check, or whatever in each box and keep track only of the totals, not distinguished by which day.

If you want to reward them you can do it for following the routine dependably and/or for observing and recording accurately.

The learning bonus is how you discuss the results of the chart at dinner, family time, or individually as the chart grows.  Examples-- depending on the child's age:
Addition: Add the sunny days + the cloudy, but dry days.
Subtraction: Subtract the rainy days from the total days recorded.
Fractions: What fraction of the week was sunny?
More advanced: Make graphs to compare weather.
          Ask the chid for predictions.
          Have the adolescent design their own format for tracking [see example]
          Maybe have them listen to the weather forecast and compare the forecast to what happened.

To keep things fun... make have a schedule of fun mini-treats depending on how many nice days there are in the week....

Have fun with it!  The purpose is not to turn them into weather forecasters.  The purpose is to keep them watching, following directions, thinking, writing, observing, and taking on and following through on a responsibiity. All great study skills hidden in a light-hearted summer activity.

Image credits: tipztime.com [weather chart choices worksheet]
                      adaycare.com [four choice weather chart]
                      ecokids.ca [more advanced, more independent, complex chart]