Top Weather Stations for Kids and Schools

In the K-12 curriculum, earth sciences require hands-on experience, which is why having a functioning weather station can help students master meteorology better by seeing important concepts in action. 

Show kids humidity, rainfall, and wind changes in action in real time as weather changes. Aspiring meteorologists can gain early exposure to core weather concepts.

Personal weather stations can be quite expensive, but for educational use, you can focus on durability and ease of use as more complicated stations might confuse younger users. Here are our recommendations.

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Educational Kids Weather Station Projects

For youngsters, durability is definitely an issue, so we recommend that you stay away from electronic personal weather stations. Instead, look for a model where you and your child can build it yourselves, or one made of few parts and easy to install.

Inventors of Tomorrow has a step by step process to make your own homemade weather station. There’s a list of materials necessary on the site itself, including making a chart to record weather readings.

Each day the child can take their measurements, and over time they’ll start to see weather patterns from their records.

Our Pick for Younger Kids: 4M Weather Station Kit

4M Weather Station Kit

Another option is 4M’s Weather Station Kit. This educational kit contains a set of basic weather instruments for your child to learn about the weather around the home. The package includes a fully functional wind vane, an anemometer, a thermometer, and rain gauge

The 4M science kit is a great product to introduce your kids to meteorology.

Weather Stations for Older Children

Our above recommendations are more suited for preschoolers and elementary/primary school aged children, so we’d recommend a more feature-rich weather station for older children and teens. A moderately priced electronic personal weather station is a great pick for this age group.

Older children will find connectivity features exciting, like being able to download weather data from their weather station to their personal computer through software options or post it online to Weather Underground. 

If your child is taking more than a passing interest in weather, you might want to consider a more professional grade model.

Our Pick for Older Children: AcuRite 01024 PRO 5-in-1 With HD Display

AcuRite 01024M

The AcuRite Pro+ Weather Station is one of our favorite value weather stations for weather enthusiasts (see the full list of home weather station reviews), and its low price makes it a great option for older children. 

The AcuRite Pro+ measures temperature, wind speed and direction, rainfall, and barometric pressure, and has a companion app so your child can monitor the weather even when he or she isn’t home. It’s easy to set up and can expand with your child with a host of additional sensors that can be added later.

Weather Stations for Aspiring Meteorologists

If your child is seriously considering a career in meteorology, we’d recommend bypassing the AccuRite Pro. Your child at this point probably realizes the value of accuracy in weather observations, so you’ll need a station that is of good value and where the accuracy is top notch. There’s one station that fits this bill nicely.

Our Pick for Future Meteorologists: Davis Instruments 6250 Vantage Vue

Davis Instruments 6250 Vantage Vue

No weather station manufacturer consistently ranks near the top when it comes to durability, reliability, and value like Davis Instruments does. In addition to its features, the Weatherlink live hub gives Davis instruments a way to stream live weather data.

While their stations are priced at a premium to their competitors, this model stands a very good chance of providing years of enjoyment for your child, even into young adulthood with proper care. While outdoor temperature readings can be a bit high in direct sunlight (the higher end Vantage Pro2 does not have this problem), and it’s worth every penny in our opinion.

Weather Stations for Schools

If you’re in the market for a weather station to install at your school, we’d recommend spending the extra money on a high-end station with a good track record of reliability and durability. School budgets are tight, and it’s likely once the station is set up it won’t be replaced for some time. There is one station in particular that we like, and we would recommend it as best-in-class when it comes to personal weather stations.

Our Pick for Schools: Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2

Davis Instruments 6152 Vantage Pro2

The Vantage Pro2 has one of the best track records when it comes to reliability and durability. These stations continually provide more than five years of trouble free service with only basic regular maintenance. 

If you cannot set up the wireless version, a cabled model is also available. The Vantage Pro2 also allows for expandability through the addition of sensors for UV, solar radiation, and soil moisture—making it useful outside of the meteorology curriculum.

Final Stations

Ultimately, choosing a weather station for K-12 curriculums is about having a practical and usable weather station that will last and provide value for money. Interactive stations are great if your school has the budget. 

For your own child’s personal use, a home weather station can double for their hobby, studies, and to help keep you informed of the weather at home.

Published: July 11, 2017

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