Since we’re outside so much during the summer months enjoying what summer has to offer, this is a perfect time to teach your young children about how to watch the weather. 

What is weather? With young children, explain that weather is the condition of air here on earth around us. But we cannot see air. Guide your child in understanding that air is felt when the wind blows; fan your child in order for them to understand the concept of air. Evaporation can be explained by putting water out to see that it will disappear in a few days. Explain to your young child the water has disappeared in the air.

One observation that fascinates the young scientist’s eye is the formation of clouds. Guide your child’s eye to identify three different kinds of clouds. Cirrus clouds are feathery clouds that look like they have a curl. They look like pulled cotton candy. Usually, cirrus clouds are associated with fair weather. Cumulus clouds are heaping clouds. They look like pillows you can jump on. It’s neat to point out to your child these clouds building up for a summer afternoon shower. Stratus clouds look like layers or blankets.  Stratus clouds produce rain and drizzle.

Children love to use their imaginations in making different shapes out of clouds.

Fog is something your child can observe draping over our bay.

Other weather events your child can learn about include thunderstorms and lightning, in which the safety rules of not being in a swimming pool or under a tree where lightning can strike should be stressed for your child’s safety.

Waterspouts — which so many times can be observed during a storm over Mobile Bay — draw up large columns of water. It’s a tornado over water. Explain to your child there are tornados over land that spur up high winds and teach that hurricanes are over land and water. So many times we observe dust devils, which draw up dust, leaves and debris.

The most beautiful sight to observe on a summer afternoon is an arching rainbow. Explain to your young children that rainbows are caused by sunlight penetrating raindrops and they’re broken into the beautiful bands of color of violet, indigo, red, orange, yellow and green.

Some simple tools that children can use to measure and observe weather are thermometers to measure temperature and rain gauges to measure rainfall.

Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.

Her column appears regularly in The Bulletin.