Pack for the weather: a climate suitcase game for K–2
What it is: a K–2 game where students pack a pretend suitcase for one of three very different climates: a hot desert, a rainforest or Antarctica. They have to explain each choice using what they know about the weather there, which is an early step toward understanding climate.
Time: about 20 minutes. Grade: kindergarten to 2nd grade.
Materials: 3 boxes or bags labeled desert, rainforest and Antarctica, real or picture cards of items (sun hat, sunglasses, water bottle, raincoat, rain boots, umbrella, warm coat, mittens, snow boots, light long sleeves, sunscreen, a sweater), and photos of each place.
- Show the three photos. Describe the weather: deserts get very little rain and can be hot in the day and cool at night; rainforests get rain very often; Antarctica is the coldest, iciest place on Earth.
- Hold up one item and ask: "Which suitcase does this go in?" Students point and explain.
- Teams draw a place card and pack 4 items for that place from the shared pile.
- Each team unpacks for the class and says one reason for each item: "We packed a raincoat because it rains a lot in the rainforest."
- Find a tricky item, like sunglasses, that fits more than one place (bright desert sun and bright snow). Let students argue for their choice.
- Point to each place on a globe: the Sahara in Africa, the Amazon rainforest in South America and Antarctica at the bottom of the globe.
Differentiation: students who need support pack for two places only. Students who are ready add one thing a scientist would need in Antarctica. English learners can use the frame "I pack ___ because it is ___."
Quick check: ask a student which suitcase a warm coat belongs in and why.
Save this activity to your library so it is ready when you need it.
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About this resource
- Shared by
- @UpOnlyLearning · Curriculum team
- Posted
- Oct 31, 2026
- Type
- Lesson plan
- Grade
- Grades K–2
- Subject
- Social studies
- Language
- English
- License
- Free for classroom, co-op and tutoring use. Please don't resell.