1. Peel the backing off the magnetic sheets; cover both sheets with paper. On one sheet, draw three lines lengthwise to make four long rectangles. Cut along the lines. These four pieces become your frame.
2. Use markers to color the four pieces of frame in any design you wish; we drew raindrops, sunshine, rainbows, and snowflakes.
3. On the other sheet, draw four weather magnets: clouds, rain, snow, and sun. Cut out the magnets.
4. Frame some artwork on your refrigerator using the four long magnets.
5. Pick the magnet that best shows today’s weather and add it to the frame.
For younger kids: Make another magnet—a rainbow—and look for one when the sun comes out after a rainstorm. Listen to tomorrow’s forecast and talk about what you will wear: flip-flops? mittens? sunglasses? winter coat? raincoat? sun hat? umbrella? boots? Don’t forget sunscreen!
For older kids: Impress friends and teachers by learning the definitions of exciting weather words like derecho, bombogenesis, polar vortex, and thundersnow; toss them into the conversation whenever you can! Online, research your favorite TV meteorologist; find out what inspired him to pursue his career. Buy an Old Farmer’s Almanac and read the year’s weather forecasts, calculated, in part, using a secret formula devised back in 1792. The founder of the Almanac believed that Earth’s weather was influenced by sunspots—magnetic storms on the surface of the sun. Compare the actual weather to the Almanac’s predictions (they claim at least 80 percent accuracy).
Craft by Lindy North; text by Mary Sears
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