Exploring Tornados with Little Kids

Practice creative thinking and fine motor skills while exploring tornados with little kids. You’re definitely going to want to add this activity to your next preschool exploring weather theme. 

collage of tornado art with text: Quick & Easy Tornado Preschool ActivityThis week we’re learning about storms, so our topics are thunderstorms, hail, hurricanes, floods, and of course tornados too. Today’s Exploring Tornados creative activity was a wonderful way to demonstrate twirling tornados in a way that both little kids could understand while practicing important fine motor skills at the same time.  

child painting swirls on paper plate
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child making tornado art using paint
A huge thanks to Experience Early Learning (formerly Mother Goose Time) for providing us with their Experience Preschool curriculum for free in exchange for sharing our honest and authentic stories resulting from our personal experiences. It’s been such a huge blessing to us! As always, my opinions on awesome stuff for little kids are 100% my own.


Tornados occur when warm and cold air start to rotate and twist together. Usually a tornado is not able to be seen until it starts picking up dirt and debris that form a visible, funnel-like vortex. 

child exploring tornados by making swirl art
child's swirl art while exploring tornados
Exploring Tornados

What you’ll need

  • Ice Cube Tray
  • Watery Paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Paper Plate

preschooler making swirls with paint on a paper platepreschooler making swirls
preschooler making swirls with paint
Here’s how to do it

  • Use a clean brush to model how to make swirly motions on the paper plate.
  • Explain that this is how a tornado moves. 
  • Observe how the child tries to recreate this motion with paint on the plate. 
  • Which colors did she choose? Does she make the circular motion or choose other designs? 

child finger painting swirls on paper plate
I love quick and easy activities like this one. As a homeschool mama, I don’t have tons of time for lesson planning or even prepping materials and that’s what makes using this curriculum so wonderful.

child finger painting on paper plate
So much is already done for you, which means that you get to focus on the important stuff like spending quality time with your little kids. 

preschooler's finished exploring tornados swirl painting
Don’t forget to check back if you’re interested in seeing what we’re up to next week with our Weather & Seasons theme from Experience Early Learning (formerly Mother Goose Time)

Looking for more insight & inspiration? Here are the top 10 most popular posts from The Keeper of the Memories. You’re definitely not going to want to miss these!

Experience Early Learning Early Childhood Education Verified Blogger badge with owlAs an Experience Early Learning Blog Ambassador, I receive the Experience Early Learning Preschool curriculum in exchange for my honest and authentic stories resulting from our personal experiences. As always, my opinions on awesome stuff for little kids are 100% my own. Keep in mind that all preschoolers do things in their own time and on their own terms. What one is ready for, another might not be. Please use your best mama judgement when planning activities for your little kids. #preschool #homeschool #mgtblogger

Experience Early Learning
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collage of tornado art with text: Exploring Weather Tornado Preschool Activity