Chris called home on his way to work last week and said, “you have to go outside and see the clouds.” So the birdies and I flew right outside and looked up. Dawn revealed some very awe-inspiring clouds, tinged with pink, purple and orange. And just like that (snapping fingers) it was nearly gone as the sun woke up in our neighborhood. Wren had a lot of questions about these beautiful clouds and the “stuff up there” we were beholding. It was so remarkable to her that she asked about clouds several times over the course of the day so I promised her that on our next library visit we would find some books about clouds.
As it turns out this reflection is not only about a love of clouds, but also a love of the library. It’s been rekindled in me in the last couple of years with our almost weekly library visits. Upon explaining to Wren how a library works and how the librarians can help you find books on any subject you want to learn about, she squealed, “that is so cool!” And it really is, isn’t it? She now takes such joy in confidently marching up to the counter in the children’s area and asking one of the librarians to help her find a book on x, y, or z. Last week: “clouds” and “meteorology,” but it’s hard for me to write out exactly how she said “meteorology,” but the librarian understood her anyway.
So we got a few new-to-us kids books on clouds and a book on meteorology experiments for kids.
The first experiment involved making clouds too, perfect. Because really, who doesn’t want to make her own clouds? The experiment is really easy and perfect for little scientists. And Mamas with a babe in arms… All you need is ice, hot water, a glass and a bowl. And five minutes.
So heat a bit of water and pour about 1-2 inches into a glass. Have your kiddo fill a bowl with some ice cubes and then place the bowl on top of the glass. Let it sit for a few minutes and watch the formation of the clouds as the warm meets the cold. After a few minutes, take the bowl off and watch the clouds escape the glass!
Now instead of just calling clouds “cool,” “wacky,” or “beautiful,” we’ve been talking a bit about cumulus, stratus and nimbus. Or a combination like, “look at that wacky, fluffy cumulus! It looks like a mountain. I want to climb it.”
It’s fun having a kid around and having an excuse to spend time watching the clouds roll by… Have you looked at the clouds lately?
I remember reading it as a child and loving the story and the illustrations. I was lucky enough to find a garage sale copy last year and I snatched it up for probably $.25. Such a great find! For the past week, we’ve read it about twice a day and Wren will often pick it up and “read” it herself. It’s such an inspiring story for children and as a Mom I’m also getting a whole new level of meaning out of it.
