On this National Weatherperson's Day, we wanted to share two fun weather activities you can do with your kids.
Both of these little experiments only take a few items.
How to Make a Rain Cloud in a Jar:
What you will need:
- A jar (can use a mason jar, pickle jar, etc.)
- Shaving cream
- Medicine dropper or pipette
- Food coloring
- Extra cups or bowls
- Water
As you do this experiment, you can explain that the water is the air, the shaving cream is the cloud, and the food coloring is the water droplets.
Let's begin!
1. Fill the jar 3/4 full with water.
2. Fill another cup or bowl with water and food coloring. You can use separate bowls for different colors.
3. Spray the shaving cream into the mason jar that is 3/4 full of water. Make it look like a cloud!
4. Take the medicine dropper or pipette and fill it with the food coloring and water mixture. You can do several different colors for a different effect.
5. Start dropping the mixture onto the top of the shaving cream. Keep doing this until you start to see the food coloring in the water below the cloud.
6. Watch it rain!
Did you know?
- Clouds form when water vapor rises into the air. When clouds get so full of water and can no longer hold any more moisture, the water falls back to the ground as raindrops.
- Clouds can actually hold millions of gallons of water.
- The three main types of clouds are: Cumulus, Stratus and Cirrus.
Another fun and easy experiment is a Tornado in a Jar.
How to make a Tornado in a Jar:
What you will need:
- A glass or plastic jar with a lid
- Liquid soap
- Vinegar
- Water
- Glitter (optional)
Let's begin!
1. Fill the jar 3/4 full with water.
2. Add 1 tsp liquid soap.
3. Add 1 tsp vinegar.
4. You can even add some glitter! This will simulate the debris from a tornado.
5. Close the lid tightly.
6. Shake and then swirl the jar to form a tornado.
Did you know?
- A tornado is a giant tube of spinning air.
- They form from thunderstorms.
- A tornado needs both warm, moist air and cold, dry air to form.
- The winds inside a tornado typically turn counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
