Seasons
Four seasons
It is often said that in the UK we don't have a climate, we have weather. But of course this is not entirely true. The circle of the seasons is one of the most noticeable features of life. Although we might wish at times for perpetual summer, the contrast between the different seasons adds variety to life and is something to celebrate with children. It is also something to try to understand. The level at which you can do this obviously depends upon the age and inclination of the child.

You could start by asking them what they notice about the difference between summer and winter. The most obvious difference is, of course, the temperature. So, why should it be colder in winter? Where does the heat come from? Well, the sun! And do they notice any difference between the sun in summer and winter? They probably haven't noticed that it gets higher in the sky in summer, but a little fishing will probably get them to recall the the days are longer in summer. This can lead to an interesting discussion about where the sun goes after dark. A globe is really useful at this point, but if you don't have one you can see pictures of the Earth as a ball in space at sites such this NASA one, and you can use a ball (or a grapefruit) and a torch to illustrate the fact that when the sun shines on the Earth there is an illuminated side and a dark side. The Earth spins once round in 24 hours, so we move from the bright side to the dark side in that time. As we do this, the sun moves across the sky and disappears beneath the horizon.

The seasons arise from the fact that the Earth's axis is tilted relative to the plane of its orbit around the sun, as shown in the graphic on the right. In our summer (on the left in the diagram) the north pole faces the sun, and so it is in sunlight throughout the day. In other words, the sun never sets at the north pole in summer. Conversely, in the winter the north pole spends all day in the dark. We are more than half-way towards the pole from the equator, so in the summer we spend a lot more time in sunlight (almost 17 hours) than in the winter (less than 8 hours). As a result of this, and the fact that the sun rises higher in the sky in summer, it is a lot warmer than in the winter.
Seasons explained
 
Even children who are too young to grasp the explanation above can understand that we see more of the sun in summer, and can appreciate the different character of each season and the way in which Nature responds to the seasons. If they keep a Nature Journal, then this is a great place to record changes through the year: when do the first spring bulbs appear? when do birds start building nests? when do leaves appear on the trees? when is it warm enough to eat outdoors? when do the leaves start to change colour? when do they fall? when is the first frost?

If they don't keep a Nature Journal you could draw their attention to such changes by helping them set up a Season Scrap Book. For example, you could take photos of the same scene (perhaps in your garden) at different times of year and stick these in the book, so they can be compared. What differences can they see between these photos? They could add drawings to the scrap book, and stick things (e.g. leaves, feathers, pressed flowers) into it.

Each season has its own special character, and sharing seasonal activities with children is a great way to help them appreciate the yearly cycle. Here are a few suggestions, you can find more online at sites such as this, and you will no doubt have ideas of your own.

Spring
 Summer
 Autumn
 Winter
 
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