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Explore · Wild and Tumble activity

Pine cone weather forecaster

Open means dry, closed means rain! Let a pine cone tell you the weather.

  • 10 min + a few days
  • Low mess
  • Ages 3–5*
  • Indoors or out
  • Autumn and winter
Let's do this

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 3 min to find a cone · 5 min to set up · 2 min to check daily. Plus waiting time: a few days. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • A few pine cones, open and closed
  • A bowl of water
  • A windowsill or sheltered spot outside

Let's begin

Five simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Look at a dry, open pine cone.

  2. Pop it in a bowl of water.

  3. Check again in an hour. Has it closed up?

  4. Take it out and leave it to dry. Does it open again?

  5. Put one outside and check it each morning. Open or closed today?

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

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