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Wind Watch

Activity

Feeling and Tracking the Wind’s Direction and Strength

Go outside with a light scarf, piece of grass, or just your hands. Hold the object up to feel how the wind moves it, or close your eyes and feel the wind on your skin. Spin, jump, or move your body to “dance” with the wind’s direction and strength. Which way is the wind coming from? Confirm your guess by observing nearby trees or flags. Explore how the wind changes throughout the day, week or year by revisiting the activity at different times!

Science Seed

Wind is the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure, and it can change direction and strength based on the weather, the season, or the time of day. When the air pressure is higher in one area and lower in another, the air moves to balance it out, creating wind. The direction of the wind is determined by where the high and low-pressure systems are located. For example, wind generally blows from areas of high pressure toward areas of low pressure. By feeling the wind with your hands, a scarf, or a piece of grass, you can sense how it moves and changes. Wind can be gentle, making light objects flutter, or strong enough to push against your body. Winds change throughout the day because of the warming and cooling of the Earth’s surface, which causes shifts in air pressure. By observing the wind at different times, you can notice how it varies and connect it to the changing weather conditions.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

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join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

This project was made possible by HEB.