An Emotional Weather Barometer

Educators can use this activity to connect weather patterns to human emotions.

Materials Needed: Chart paper, markers

1. Gather students in a circle or cozy area of the room and begin by talking about different types of weather, like sunny days, windy mornings and snowy weekends.
2. Ask students how they feel when those weather events are happening. Perhaps they feel happy, sad, worried or another kind of emotion.
3. As students share their thoughts, jot down their responses on chart paper.
4. After everyone has had the chance to share, review the list you’ve created and invite students to embody each emotion, taking time to talk through each one to better understand the nuance of each emotion.
5. Next, turn the group’s focus to rainy weather and ask them questions like:
   • What emotion(s) do you feel when it’s raining?
   • What are some activities you can only do when it’s raining?
   • What memories come to mind when you think of rain? Hold space for  students to share their rainy-day emotions and activities.
6. Have a group discussion about how different weather makes us feel and why. Help them understand that it’s okay to have different emotions in different situations. For instance, maybe a student feels sad when it’s sunny or happy when it’s raining. Celebrate that!

Reflection Questions:

• How do you think your emotions change when you experience different types of weather?
• Can you share a time when you felt really happy or cozy during a specific kind of weather?
• What are some ways we can support each other when someone feels a little down because of the weather?