Author: Sara Lewis, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Fulton County

Weather Watchers: Fall Forecast Fun

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four children jumping in the colorful autumn leaves As the days get shorter and the air turns crisp, fall is the perfect time for 4-H Cloverbuds to become Weather Watchers. Observing changes in the weather will help youth notice patterns, learn science skills, and connect with the world around them—all while having a blast exploring the outdoors!

What is happening in the sky?

During fall, the weather can change quickly. One day might feel warm and sunny, while the next could bring chilly wind and rain. This is because the Earth is tilting away from the sun, making our days shorter and temperatures cooler. When the sun is lower, shadows are longer, the light is different (softer, more golden), and the air begins to cool more easily. You can demonstrate this by shining a flashlight, to represent sunlight, directly onto a ball, then tilt the ball away, watching the light spread and dim.

Fall is a time of changing air masses where the summer air from the south meets the cooler polar air from the north. When these air masses meet, we get weather fronts and the seasonal shifts bringing changes in clouds, wind, and rain. As the air cools in the fall, humidity often drops, and the sky can look a deeper blue than in the summer with more vibrant sunsets.

Our 4-H Cloverbuds may have questions about how animals and people get ready for the colder days and nights, prompting conversation and observations about what types of clothes and activities change when the weather cools. Encouraging this discussion will build the opportunity for communication and curiosity.

Be a Fall Forecaster

Try out some of these fun ways your 4-H Cloverbud members can explore the weather this season.

Daily Sky Watch

  • Look outside each day and describe what you see—sunny, cloudy, windy, or raining.
  • Draw a simple weather picture in a forecast journal.

Wind Testers

  • Tie a ribbon around a stick and watch how it moves in the breeze.
  • Light wind? The ribbon barely moves. Strong wind? It is fluttering fast!

Weather Reporter Show

  • Maybe you are looking for a quick icebreaker activity for your next club meeting with your Cloverbuds. Have them act as TV weather reporters sharing the day’s weather and a fun fact.

glass jar with water, shaving cream, and blue food coloring made to represent a raincloudRain Cloud in a Jar
(source: thestemlaboratory.com/rain-cloud-jar/)

What you will need:

  • A clear jar
  • Water
  • Blue food coloring
  • Shaving cream
  • Dropper or syringe

What to do:

  1. Fill the jar about ¾ full with water.
  2. Top the water with a layer of shaving cream to represent a cloud.
  3. Mix some food coloring with a small amount of water in a separate cup.
  4. Use the dropper to add the blue water to the shaving cream cloud.
  5. Watch as the ‘rain’ falls from the cloud when it becomes too heavy.

Whether it is spotting rainbows, measuring rainfall, or noticing chilly mornings, fall weather offers plenty to explore. Encourage your 4-H Cloverbuds to keep watching the skies — they might just become the next great weather forecasters!

Surviving the “Fall Back” Time Change

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Just like that, the end of daylight saving time is upon us again…

Some look at it as an extra hour to sleep, but when those clocks turn back, many are up even earlier thanks to daylight saving time wreaking havoc on sleep schedules.

Children are naturally early risers, so until a child has adjusted to a new schedule, this time change means that they may wake up an hour earlier than normal each morning, a nightmare for some parents, but perhaps a blessing for others whose children sleep too long and struggle to get up for school.

While we have months of darker, longer nights ahead of us, the end of daylight saving time does not mean the end of fun for children. Sure, by the time children get home from school, have a snack, and finish their homework, it is already dark outside, but this is where a little planning and creativity can turn the time change slump into exciting opportunities for indoor and outdoor activity.

Want to get your Cloverbuds outside? Try these low-to-no cost games to get everyone outside and moving.

Firefly

All it takes to play this game is a pocket flashlight that can easily be switched on and off. PRO TIP: It is best to use a small, pocket flashlight with a light beam that is not too bright or easy to spot. You will select one person to be “it” and have them run and hide in the dark. This person is the “firefly” and can move from hiding place to hiding place flashing their light every minute or so. The other players race around to find the firefly. When they catch them, the game is over. The first person to spot the firefly is “it” for the next round.

Do you prefer to have indoor options because of the dark or less than ideal weather? Fear not, get those creative juices flowing and get started. Let’s bring the glow indoors.

Glow-In-The-Dark Dough

Supplies needed

  • 3 cups flour
  • ¾ salt
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 tablespoons cream of tartar
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • fluorescent/neon paint
  • glitter (optional)
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine  flour,  salt,  vegetable oil, and cream of tartar.
  2. Gradually add in  water and stir until the dough is sticky.
  3. Once cooled, divide the dough into multiple portions adding 1 tablespoon of paint (and glitter, if desired) to each portion.
  4. You may add more flour and/or paint and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky.
  5. To make the dough glow, let it sit in direct sunlight or artificial light for a few hours.

Looking for other options? Here are a few more suggestions for those indoor activities…

  • Put on a Play
  • Have a Paper Airplane Competition
  • Bake and Decorate Cupcakes
  • Break out the Board Games

In the event the time change has gotten the best of you or your Cloverbuds, remember that longer days are ahead as time will spring forward on March 9, 2025!

 

Image from stock.adobe.com