Weather & ClimateGrade 3 Science for Kids

Weather tools, rainfall patterns and the climate zones of the world.

Weather & Climate teaches third graders to use real weather tools, read a rainfall chart to find the wettest month and sort places of the world into climate zones. Kids learn the difference between weather and climate.

  • Grade 3 · Ages 8–9
  • 3 lessons
  • 3 experiments
  • 12 practice questions
  • About 25 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • Weather Tools
  • Tool Match
  • Weather Patterns
  • Rainfall Record
  • Climate Zones
  • Zone Sort

Science lab course · Grade 3

Weather & Climate · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Use real weather tools, read a rainfall chart to find the wettest month, and sort places of the world into their climate zones.

  • Weather tools measure temperature, rain and wind so we can describe and predict weather.
  • Climate is the pattern of weather over many years. Here, October is usually the rainiest.
  • The world has climate zones: tropical near the equator, polar near the poles, and dry deserts.

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • Weather vs climate

    Knowing the difference helps kids understand forecasts and conversations about our planet.

  • Reading data

    Rainfall charts build graph-reading skills used in math and science.

  • Our world

    Climate zones explain why people and animals live differently around the world.

Inside Weather & Climate

How the Course Works

Each level has a short read-aloud lesson, an interactive experiment and a mini quiz.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    Weather Tools

    Scientists who study weather are called meteorologists.

  2. Step 2 · Experiment

    Tool Match

    Every weather tool measures something. Let's match each tool to what it measures!

  3. Step 3 · Lesson

    Weather Patterns

    Weather is what's happening today. Climate is the usual weather over many years.

  4. Step 4 · Experiment

    Rainfall Record

    Here are rain gauge records from one town, kept for 30 years. Let's check each season's month.

  5. Step 5 · Lesson

    Climate Zones

    Near the equator it's hot all year. These are tropical places.

  6. Step 6 · Experiment

    Zone Sort

    Let's travel the world! Which climate zone is each place in?

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

Weather Tools

Scientists who study weather are called meteorologists.

A thermometer measures temperature. A rain gauge measures rainfall.

A wind vane shows which way the wind blows. An anemometer measures wind speed.

Weather Patterns

Weather is what's happening today. Climate is the usual weather over many years.

Scientists record weather for years and look for patterns.

Patterns help us know which seasons are rainy, dry, hot or cold.

Climate Zones

Near the equator it's hot all year. These are tropical places.

Near the North and South Poles it's freezing. These are polar places.

Dry places get very little rain, like deserts.

Plants and animals are adapted to their climate.

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Check the weather forecast together for a week and compare it with what actually happens. Was the forecast right?

Tool Match

  1. Make a rain gauge: a straight-sided jar with a ruler taped on.
  2. Put it outside, away from trees.
  3. Measure the rain every day for a week.

Weather tools measure temperature, rain and wind so we can describe and predict weather.

Rainfall Record

  1. Look up your town's average rainfall online with a grown-up.
  2. Make a bar graph for 4 months.
  3. Which month should you plan an indoor party?

Climate is the pattern of weather over many years. Here, October is usually the rainiest.

Zone Sort

  1. Find the equator on a globe or map.
  2. Put a sticker on a hot place and a cold place.
  3. Which one is closer to the equator?

The world has climate zones: tropical near the equator, polar near the poles, and dry deserts.

Practice

Grade 3 Science Practice Questions

Real questions from Weather & Climate. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    What does a rain gauge measure?

    • A.Rainfall
    • B.Wind speed
    • C.Temperature
    Show answer

    Rainfall

  2. Question 2

    What is climate?

    • A.Today's weather
    • B.The usual weather over many years
    • C.Tomorrow's weather
    Show answer

    The usual weather over many years

  3. Question 3

    Where are tropical places?

    • A.At the poles
    • B.On the moon
    • C.Near the equator
    Show answer

    Near the equator

The full course has 12 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

Weather & Climate · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

Weather & Climate is a grade 3 science course for kids ages 8–9. That is Year 4 science in the UK and Year 3 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Use real weather tools, read a rainfall chart to find the wettest month, and sort places of the world into their climate zones. Along the way they practice: Weather tools measure temperature, rain and wind so we can describe and predict weather; Climate is the pattern of weather over many years. Here, October is usually the rainiest; The world has climate zones: tropical near the equator, polar near the poles, and dry deserts.

How long does the course take?

About 25 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

Weather & Climate is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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