The four seasons
Physics · Early Years · The School
The year’s big circle
The year turns through four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter — and then spring again, round and round forever. Each season lasts about three months. Say them in order three times until the circle spins smoothly in your head.
What changes?
Spring: buds open, baby animals arrive, rain and sunshine take turns. Summer: long bright days, warm air, ice cream weather. Autumn: leaves turn red and gold and fall, conkers drop. Winter: short days, bare trees, frost and maybe snow. Nature never stops changing — the seasons are its four costumes.
Dressing for the season
Wellies and a raincoat? Spring. Sun hat and sun cream? Summer. A cosy jumper for kicking leaves? Autumn. Gloves, scarf and a woolly hat? Winter. Matching what you wear to the season is your first weather science — meteorologists just do a fancier version.
Pick a tree you can see from a window and draw it once each season. SPRING: bare branches with tight buds, then small bright leaves. SUMMER: full dark green, so thick you cannot see through it. AUTUMN: yellow and red, then bare branches with leaves on the ground. WINTER: bare again, and the same shape as spring — which is how you know the circle has come round. Four drawings on one page tell the whole year.