Today we are doing a super awesome rain cloud experiment! Kids of all ages will love this science experiment, because they get to make their own rain clouds! What a cool weather experiment. This rain cloud experiment is educational, fun, and just a little messy! All of the best things wrapped into one activity. Do this rain cloud experiment at home or in the classroom.
Rain Cloud Experiment
I love rainy days. They’re very relaxing and indoors can be fun and playing in the rain can be fun too. But have you ever thought about where rain comes from? Sure, it falls from the sky, but it actually comes from the clouds!
The water on the land will heat up and evaporate into a vapor, go up to the atmosphere, and make clouds. Yes! Clouds are water. And those clouds get bigger and bigger and once they become too heavy the rain falls down. In this experiment you’ll get to make clouds and rain!
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Related: Download and print our scientific method steps for kids printable!
Supplies Needed For This Rain Cloud Experiment
How To Do This Rain Cloud Experiment
Step 1
Fill your cup or jar 3/4 of the way with water.
Step 2
Spray shaving cream on top. You want the water to be covered with a few inches of shaving cream.
Step 3
Add food coloring on top of the clouds. What do you think will happen? It should start raining in your jar!
Explanation Behind This Rain Cloud Experiment
This science experiment is a great representation on how rain clouds work. The cloud is the shaving cream, water is the air, and your food coloring is the rain.
As your food coloring saturates your cloud it becomes heavy. When it gets too heavy the food coloring starts raining down through the water. The molecules in the water move slowly, because it is cold, and so it takes longer for the food coloring to spread. That’s why the food coloring looks like stream while it falls through the cold water.
Materials
- Clear Cup or Jar
- Shaving Cream
- Cold Water
- Food Coloring
Instructions
- Fill your cup or jar 3/4 of the way with water.
- Spray shaving cream on top. You want the water to be covered with a few inches of shaving cream.
- Add food coloring on top of the clouds. What do you think will happen? It should start raining in your jar!
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How did your rain cloud experiment turn out?
