The longer answer
Air is all around us, even though we cannot see it. It is made of tiny bits too small to see, and like water, it can flow from one place to another.
When the Sun shines, land, sea and air warm up by different amounts. Over a warm patch, the air rises like a hot air balloon. Cooler air slides in sideways to take its place, and we feel that sideways flow as a breeze.
Big differences make strong winds. Near the sea, the land warms faster than the water in the day, which is why beaches are often breezy on sunny afternoons.
Three things to know
- Wind can carry a kite all the way up toward the clouds. A kite flies because moving air pushes up against its flat surface. The stronger the wind, the higher it can climb.
- Some sailboats cross whole oceans with no engine. Sailors angle their sails so moving air pushes against them, strong enough to move a huge boat.
- Wind turbines turn wind into electricity. Wind pushes the huge blades around, and the spinning blades turn a machine inside that makes electricity for homes.
Try it at home: Make your own wind
- Hold a paper pinwheel, or a strip of tissue paper, in front of you.
- Wave a piece of card toward it and watch it move.
- Wave the card faster. Does the pinwheel spin faster too?
- Walk or run while holding it. Moving through still air makes a wind of its own.
Outside, hold your strip of tissue up high to see which way the wind is blowing today.
Quick quiz
Watch the episode first, then tap an answer.
My pinwheel is spinning all by itself. What's making it turn?
Wind is pushing the leaves along the path. Can you see the wind itself?
Kenji wanted the pinwheel to spin fast. What did he do with the card?
You got 0 of 3. The app has all 5 questions read aloud, then a certificate, a coloring page and a jigsaw. Get the app
