Today at PlusKids we had a rather special activity about meteorology.
The changeable weather outside gave us the perfect excuse: we did not have to convince anyone the subject was interesting, because the answer was visible through the window. We learned about a meteorologist's work and about various weather phenomena — why the weather changes, what the clouds announce and how we know what tomorrow will bring.
Then the children became little weather forecasters. It is an activity with far more substance than it appears. To present a forecast you have to understand what you are saying, find the right words, speak clearly and loudly in front of others, and keep to an order — today, tomorrow, the day after. Speaking, structuring ideas and the courage to stand before an audience are all practised at once, and shy children find a useful pretext in the role: they are not talking about themselves, they are talking about the weather.
It was an experience that was educational and entertaining in equal measure, and the little ones had a wonderful time.