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Rain Cloud Science Experiment
Science experiment for kids
The Rain Cloud Science Experiment is a simple and fun way for kids to explore weather concepts!
Has your child ever asked how or why rain falls from the sky?
Well this is the perfect hands-on way to teach your child all about how clouds create rain!
The Shaving Cream Rain Cloud Science Experiment is perfect for preschoolers and school aged kids-heck even my husband and I loved it!
This colorful weather experiment illustrates how rain falls from clouds once the rain inside the cloud becomes too heavy-falling to the ground due to gravity.
Before you begin, explain the experiment to your child and talk through the directions together.
Ask your child to make predictions before you begin. Write their predictions down on a piece of paper. Set the paper aside to use later in the experiment.
materials
Food Coloring
Mason Jar
Shaving Cream (Foam not Gel)
Pipettes
Water
purpose
Explore weather concepts
Experiment with cause and effect
Introduce new vocabulary words
Hands-on learning experience
Learn about the water cycle
Explore clouds and rain
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Shop this Project Here!
directions
How to do the
Rain Cloud Science Experiment
Mix blue food coloring with a small amount of water
Fill wide mouth jar or clear glass nearly to the top with water
Add shaving cream on top of the water to create a “fluffy cloud”
Let the shaving cream settle for a couple of minutes
Invite your child to add slowly add food coloring “rain” to the “cloud” using the pipettes
Continue to add drops of “rain” into the cloud
Observe what happens!
After a couple of minutes you will see the “rain” coming out of the cloud into the water
Ask your child what they see
Verbalize what you see
Invite your child to record their observations on the same piece of paper that their predictions were written on.
Observations can be through pictures and/or words!
Explain to your child the science behind the experiment (explanation below)
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What is the Science Behind the Rain Cloud Experiment?
A cloud is formed when rain droplets combine together
When the cloud gets too heavy and full- the rain droplets fall out of the cloud due to gravity.
In the Rain Cloud Experiment, the colored water acts as the rain.
The shaving cream acts as the cloud.
The clean water in the jar is the air.
When the colored water (“rain”) gets too heavy it falls out of the shaving cream “Cloud” and into the water (“air”).
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How to Explain Why it Rains to Kids
Water is everywhere on Earth
Water Evaporates into the Atmosphere in the form of Water Vapor
Water vapor rises and then cools causing Condensation
Condensation is tiny water droplets
The tiny water droplets gather together and form clouds
Once the cloud is full of tiny water droplets and becomes too full or heavy- they fall out of the cloud and onto the earth (due to gravity)
After the precipitation falls to the earth the whole water cycle begins again
Introduce these vocabulary words to your child while you’re conducting the experiment!
Even if your child is young and won’t necessarily retain the new words-exposing even young children to advanced vocabulary will have a powerful effect on their literacy base as they get older.
For older children, introduce the words, write the words down for them so they can see the spelling, and encourage your child to use the new words while you discuss the science experiment!
Precipitation (release of water from the sky in the form of Rain, Sleet, Hail or Snow)
Atmosphere (thin layer of gases surrounding our planet)
Evaporation (when liquid changes to gas or vapor)
Water Vapor (water in the form of transparent vapor)
Condensation (when water vapor cools and turns into liquid form of water)
Water Cycle (the process of water moving around from air to land)
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