Cloud Gazing

First, please read our COVID-19 Recommendation.

Looking at the clouds is an excellent way to observe nature, relieve stress, and free your imagination! It can be fun and relaxing to recognize shapes in the sky like animals, people, and objects. While observing clouds you will also see new things in your local community such as birds, plants, and animals.

Clouds are everywhere and they are constantly changing which gives you plenty of opportunities to watch them in detail! You can watch them from the park, your backyard, a bus stop or even from window at your home or work. A good way to start is to closely examine how the clouds look. It can be helpful to describe them to someone you know. Are they fluffy? Smooth? Long? Are they small or are they big? If you notice any unique shapes, such as an animals or an object, what do you see? Try spotting your clouds at different times of the day seeing how much they change. How are clouds in the early morning different than those right when the sun is setting? Taking a break to see the clouds can be a great moment to reflect on your day. Thinking about a few things that you can see, hear, or feel in the moment is a wonderful way to check in on how you are feeling and connect with your surroundings. You can write or draw about it in your nature journal, talk about it with a friend or relative, or even just quietly observe the clouds’ shapes while you relax.

Looking at clouds can also help you to discover the wonders of birds flying high. What are the shapes of their flying patterns? Do they give a special action or feature to the clouds you are enjoying? With help from the free app, Merlin Bird ID you can use these observations to help identify the birds you see while cloud gazing. If you want to learn more about some common birds in your region, visit our page about birds, where you can explore more about birds in the United States and some other countries and territories!

Written by Ashley Calderón and Julia Luna