15 Simple Weather Crafts for Preschool Kids

Keeping little hands busy can be hard, especially on rainy days or during quiet classroom time. If you’re searching for simple, fun weather activities that teach and entertain, this list is for you.

These easy crafts use basic supplies and help kids explore sun, rain, clouds, wind, and storms through art.

Let’s dive into 15 playful weather crafts that are quick to set up and satisfying to make.

1. Paper Plate Sunshine Face

This bright sun has a smiling face in the center with bold paper rays around the edge. Kids love choosing ray colors and drawing happy expressions, and it’s simple enough for preschoolers.

Materials Needed:

1. Paper plate (plain white)
2. Yellow paint or crayons
3. Yellow and orange construction paper
4. Black marker
5. Glue stick

How to make it:

1. Color or paint the paper plate yellow and let it dry.
2. Cut paper triangles for sun rays and glue them around the plate edge.
3. Draw eyes, a nose, and a big smile in the center.
4. Add rosy cheeks or stickers and hang in a sunny window.

2. Puffy Cotton Ball Cloud

A fluffy white cloud with soft cotton texture sits on blue paper, sometimes with a few dangling raindrops. Kids enjoy the sensory feel of cotton and glue, and it’s a calming, easy project.

Materials Needed:

1. Blue construction paper
2. Cotton balls
3. White glue
4. String or yarn (for raindrops)
5. Paper raindrops or blue beads

How to make it:

1. Draw a big cloud outline on blue paper.
2. Squeeze glue inside and press cotton balls to fill the shape.
3. Tape short yarn pieces to the back bottom edge and glue on paper raindrops.
4. Let dry flat and display on the wall.

3. Rainbow Paper Strip Weaving

A bold rainbow arch made by weaving colored paper strips through slits in a cloud base. Preschoolers enjoy the simple in-and-out motion and watching the rainbow pattern appear.

Materials Needed:

1. White cardstock (cloud base)
2. Colored paper strips (red to purple)
3. Child-safe scissors
4. Glue stick
5. Marker (to outline cloud)

How to make it:

1. Cut a big cloud shape from white cardstock and draw 6–7 vertical slits across the bottom.
2. Weave colored strips through the slits, alternating over-under.
3. Trim ends and glue to secure the rainbow.
4. Add a happy face or little hearts and hang up.

4. Raindrop Watercolor Resist

A sheet filled with shiny raindrops appears as kids paint blue over crayon-drawn shapes. They love the magic of the crayon lines “resisting” the paint and revealing each drop.

Materials Needed:

1. Watercolor paper
2. White crayon
3. Blue watercolor paint
4. Paintbrush
5. Cup of water and paper towel

How to make it:

1. Draw raindrop shapes and swirls with a white crayon on watercolor paper.
2. Brush water over the page, then paint with blue watercolor.
3. Watch the raindrops appear as the crayon resists paint.
4. Let dry and display near a window.

5. Windy Day Ribbon Wand

A simple wand with streaming ribbons that flutter when kids run or dance, like a windy breeze. Children love swishing it around to “feel the wind,” and it encourages movement play.

Materials Needed:

1. Wooden dowel or paper straw
2. Assorted ribbons or yarn
3. Tape or glue
4. Washi tape (optional for handle)
5. Stickers (optional)

How to make it:

1. Wrap the bottom of the dowel with washi tape for a comfy handle.
2. Tie or tape 6–8 ribbon lengths to the top of the stick.
3. Add stickers on the handle for decoration.
4. Wave and dance to make a windy show.

6. Torn-Paper Thunderstorm Collage

A dramatic storm scene with dark clouds, rain, and bold lightning made from torn paper pieces. Kids enjoy ripping paper and building a moody sky with textures.

Materials Needed:

1. Black, gray, blue, and yellow paper
2. Glue stick
3. Child-safe scissors
4. White crayon (for wind lines)
5. Cardstock base

How to make it:

1. Tear gray and black paper into cloud shapes and glue at the top of the base.
2. Tear blue strips for rain and glue falling from the clouds.
3. Cut or tear yellow zigzags for lightning and add them in.
4. Draw windy swirls with a white crayon and let dry.

7. Sun and Cloud Weather Wheel

A simple spinning wheel that shows sun, clouds, rain, and wind as kids turn the arrow. Preschoolers love moving parts and using the wheel to “forecast” the day.

Materials Needed:

1. Two paper plates
2. Markers or crayons
3. Brass fastener (paper brad)
4. Scissors
5. Stickers (optional)

How to make it:

1. Draw four weather pictures around one plate: sun, cloud, rain, wind.
2. Cut a window on the second plate to reveal one section at a time.
3. Stack plates and attach with a brad in the center.
4. Decorate edges with stickers and spin to play.

8. Coffee Filter Rainbow Clouds

Soft coffee filters turn into bright rainbows with fluffy cotton clouds on each end. Kids love how the colors spread with water and blend into a cheerful arc.

Materials Needed:

1. Round coffee filters
2. Washable markers
3. Spray bottle or brush with water
4. Cotton balls
5. Glue

How to make it:

1. Flatten a coffee filter and color thick arcs in rainbow order.
2. Lightly mist with water to blend the colors; let dry.
3. Fold into a rainbow arch and glue cotton balls at both ends.
4. Tape to a window for a sunny display.

9. Snowflake Doily Prints

White paper doilies become stencils for pretty snowflake prints in wintery blues. Kids enjoy dabbing paint and lifting the doily to reveal crisp snow patterns.

Materials Needed:

1. Paper doilies
2. Blue and white tempera paint
3. Sponge or foam brush
4. Construction paper (dark blue works well)
5. Paint tray

How to make it:

1. Place a paper doily flat on dark paper.
2. Dab paint gently over the doily with a sponge.
3. Lift the doily to reveal the snowflake print.
4. Let dry and add a few white dots as falling snow.

10. Paper Plate Umbrella with Dangly Raindrops

A half paper plate becomes a colorful umbrella with yarn raindrops swinging below. The moving drops make it playful, and kids love decorating the canopy with patterns.

Materials Needed:

1. Paper plate
2. Markers, crayons, or paint
3. Yarn or string
4. Blue paper (raindrops)
5. Tape and glue

How to make it:

1. Cut the plate in half to form an umbrella shape and color it brightly.
2. Tape several yarn pieces to the back bottom edge.
3. Cut small blue raindrops and glue them onto the yarn ends.
4. Add a paper handle and hang from a shelf to sway.

11. Tissue Paper Sun Catchers (Weather Shapes)

Clear, colorful suncatchers shaped like suns, clouds, and raindrops glow in a window. Kids enjoy sticking bits of tissue onto contact paper—it’s mess-free and very satisfying.

Materials Needed:

1. Clear contact paper
2. Colored tissue paper squares
3. Black construction paper (frames)
4. Scissors
5. Hole punch and string (optional for hanging)

How to make it:

1. Cut weather shape frames from black paper (sun, cloud, raindrop).
2. Stick a piece of contact paper behind each frame, sticky side up.
3. Place tissue squares to fill the shape; seal with another contact sheet.
4. Trim and hang in a sunny window.

12. Pinwheel Wind Spinner

A classic pinwheel that really spins, showing how wind moves things on breezy days. Kids love blowing on it and running outside to watch it whirl.

Materials Needed:

1. Square of cardstock
2. Push pin or brass fastener
3. Pencil with eraser or a straw
4. Ruler and marker
5. Stickers (optional)

How to make it:

1. Draw diagonal lines corner to corner and cut along most of each line.
2. Fold every other tip to the center and pin through all layers into the pencil eraser.
3. Adjust so it spins freely and add stickers to the blades.
4. Test by blowing or taking it outside.

13. Weather Dress-Up Bear

A cute paper bear with mix-and-match weather clothes: raincoat, boots, scarf, and sunglasses. Kids enjoy choosing outfits to match the day’s weather and practicing simple dressing skills.

Materials Needed:

1. Printed or hand-drawn bear template
2. Colored paper for outfits
3. Crayons or markers
4. Velcro dots or tape loops
5. Scissors

How to make it:

1. Color and cut out the bear base and clothing pieces.
2. Add Velcro dots to the bear and the back of each outfit item.
3. Make weather sets: rain (coat, boots), sun (hat, glasses), snow (scarf, mittens).
4. Store pieces in a zip bag and play daily “What’s the weather?”

14. Frosty Window Painting (Washable)

A shimmery “frost” scene painted directly on a window with washable paint and dish soap. Kids love painting big swirls and then wiping it clean later.

Materials Needed:

1. Washable white tempera paint
2. A drop of dish soap
3. Small cup and brush
4. Paper towels
5. Optional blue glitter glue

How to make it:

1. Mix a little white paint with a drop of dish soap in a cup.
2. Paint frosty swirls, snowflakes, and icy edges on a window.
3. Add a little glitter glue for sparkle if desired.
4. Let dry, then wipe off easily with a damp towel later.

15. Cloud-in-a-Bottle Sensory Jar

A calming sensory jar that looks like a cloudy sky with floating sparkles and soft movement. Preschoolers enjoy shaking it and watching the “clouds” drift.

Materials Needed:

1. Clear plastic bottle or jar with lid
2. Water
3. A small drop of white paint or white glitter
4. Blue food coloring (1–2 drops)
5. Hot glue or strong tape to seal

How to make it:

1. Fill the bottle mostly with water; add 1–2 drops of blue coloring.
2. Add a tiny drop of white paint or white glitter for a cloudy look.
3. Close the lid tightly and seal with hot glue or strong tape.
4. Shake gently to watch the cloud effect and keep as a calm-down tool.