HOUSTON – HOUSTON - KPRC 2 knows this summer is different than others, but it’s one your family will always remember. Let’s make it memorable for all the right reasons with the KPRC 2 Summer Kids Program.
We will have a weekly program on a different theme each week. Your family can take part throughout the summer in activities that we hope you will find fun, educational and memorable. Our program will include printable coloring pages, an activity, reading list and online scrapbooking opportunity.
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Also -- we know not everyone will have the books listed on our reading lists, so we’re sharing our themes so you can get books on these topics: birds, cooking, weather, mammals, stars/space, health/physical education, dance/theater, and Texas history. Be sure to share your favorite books on these themes with us, as it’s always fun to get book suggestions from friends.
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What’s up with weather: This is Week 3 of the KPRC 2 Summer Kids Program
Weather is the third theme in the KPRC 2 Summer Kids Program. See how weather works and changes everywhere.
This week we’re going to learn about weather and why it’s important.
COLORING PAGE
To get started, let’s do a coloring activity. Check out this coloring book from the National Weather Service. Meteorologists Natalie and Hunter will take you on a journey to demonstrate how they make their forecasts.
THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY
This week we are joining KPRC2′s Britta Merwin in her Weather Lab. Throw on a lab coat and select any experiment of your choice.
Have you ever made a cloud before? Grab a jar and try it out. It would be a good idea to get a parent’s help for this one.
Pro tips: For results similar to Britta’s, don’t skip over any steps. And remember to always follow safety requirements.
THIS WEEK’S READING LIST
“The Weather Girls” by Aki - Follow these busy girls as they climb mountains, fly hot-air balloons, and soak in a rainbow-sky sunset. Charming rhyming verse and adorable art make this picture book irresistible -- and perfect for sharing!
“Come On, Rain!” by Karen Hesse - "Come on, rain!" Tess pleads to the sky as listless vines and parched plants droop in the endless heat. More than anything, Tess hopes for rain. And when it comes, she and her friends are ready for a surprising joyous celebration.
“Rainbows (Amazing Sights of the Sky)” by Martha E. Rustad - One of the best things about a rainy day is the possibility of seeing a rainbow, but there's more to rainbows than meets the eye! Simple text introduces readers to the science behind rainbows. Including why rainbows occur and what they are made of.
“National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Weather” by Karen de Seve - How does a rainbow form? What causes it to snow? What makes the wind blow? This adorable reference book introduces young children to every aspect of weather and answers the questions curious kids want to know! Always an important topic for young kids, they'll learn how all the various types of weather systems work, from droughts and deserts to snowflakes and blizzards. Stories are accompanied by 100 colorful photos that capture the awe and wonder of our natural world. This charming book is sure to capture kids' imaginations and become a favorite at storytime, bedtime, and anytime.
“Green City: How One Community Survived a Tornado and Rebuilt for a Sustainable Future” by Allan Drummond - In 2007, a tornado destroyed Greensburg, Kansas, and the residents were at a loss as to what to do next--they didn’t want to rebuild if their small town would just be destroyed in another storm. So they decided they wouldn’t just rebuild the same old thing; this time, they would build a town that could not only survive another storm, but one that was built in an environmentally sustainable way. Told from the point of view of a child whose family rebuilt after the storm, this companion to Energy Island is the inspiring story of the difference one community can make--and it includes plenty of rebuilding scenes and details for construction lovers, too!
“Al Roker’s Extreme Weather” by Al Roker - Dive deep into a world of fascinating weather with everyone’s favorite meteorologist, Al Roker! With this mesmerizing book that covers a wide range of topics, readers will learn about the conditions that generate unique weather occurrences like red sprites, thundersnow, and fogsicles. Surprising facts, colorful spreads, and captivating pictures will hook children and adults alike as they uncover the mysteries of extreme weather—some they never even knew existed!
“Rain” by Manya Stojic - When rain comes to the parched African savanna, the animals use all their senses to track the storm. The porcupine smells rain in the air. The zebras see lightning. The baboons hear thunder. The rhino feels the first drops. And the lion tastes the cool water. For a time, the grasslands abound with new green leaves, juicy fruits, and fresh pools of water. But soon the hot sun dries out the land, and the animals must again wait for the next big rain.
“It Looked Like Spilt Milk” by Charles G. Shaw - The white shape silhouetted against a blue background changes on every page. Is it a rabbit, a bird, or just split milk? Children are kept guessing until the surprise ending, and will be encouraged to improvise similar games of their own. Blue and white pictures.
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett - If food dropped like rain from the sky, wouldn’t it be marvelous! Or would it? It could, after all, be messy. And you’d have no choice. What if you didn’t like what fell? Or what if too much came? Have you ever thought of what it might be like to be squashed flat by a pancake?
“Heat Wave at Mud Flat” by James Stevenson - Cool down with a good read from James Stevenson! It’s summer in Mud Flat, and it’s Hot. Chumley the skunk is seeing mirages, and there’s simply no shade for Marty the elephant. Temperatures (and tempers) are about to boil over. But a lizard with a suitcase full of tricks promises relief in the form of rain. Can Raymond the Rainmaker save the day? The forecast calls for fun, and there’s plenty of it in Mud Flat!
“Wow! Said the Owl” by Tim Hopgood - Here’s the story of a curious little owl determined to see what the world looks like during the day. And what does she discover? A wow-worthy symphony of colors―from red butterflies to orange flowers, from white clouds to green leaves. This boisterous and bright book is the perfect read-aloud to savor with curious little owls everywhere who are exploring the world of colors for the first time.
“Hello Sun” by Hans Wilhelm - Upon feeling a sunbeam for the first time, a young hedgehog decides to build a tree house so that he can see the sun itself, and, despite teasing and a bet with a wily fox, he finds a way to get the job done.
“The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats - No book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child’s wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.
“Rivers of Sunlight: How the sun moves water around the Earth” by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm - In this brightly illustrated narrative, readers will learn about the constant movement of water as it flows around the Earth and the sun’s important role as water changes between liquid, vapor, and ice. From sea to sky, the sun both heats and cools water, ensuring that life can exist on Earth. How does the sun keep ocean currents moving, and lift fresh water from the seas? And what can we do to conserve one of our planet’s most precious resources?
“Easy Genius Science Projects with Weather” by Robert Gardner - Did you know that rainbows are made by water droplets in the air bending light? Learn how to capture snowflakes, measure air pressure, make a model of greenhouse gases, and more with these fun experiments using easy-to-acquire materials. Through scientific inquiry and exploration, ideas presented in this book can be developed into successful science fair projects
“The Secret Life of a Snowflake” by Kenneth Libbrecht - Before a snowflake melts on your tongue, it makes an epic journey. This is the beautiful, full-color story of that journey, step by step, from a single snowflake’s creation in the clouds, through its fall to earth, to its brief and sparkling appearance on a child’s mitten. Told by a scientist who knows snowflakes better than almost anyone, the story features his brilliant photographs of real snowflakes, snowflakes forming (in the author’s lab), water evaporating, clouds developing, ice crystals, rain, dew, and frost--all the elements of the world and weather that add up, flake by flake, to the white landscape of winter.
JOIN OUR ONLINE SCRAPBOOK
Share your photos and videos in the widget below throughout the week as you color, complete the activity and read. We’ll share them throughout the week on KPRC 2 and at the end of the summer program.