Miami has been under a deluge of rain for three days straight. My kiddos are used to plenty of time outdoors, but the constant rain curtailed our activities. Excepting for one puddle-jumping walk before dinner, we were stuck inside going stir-crazy.
When you can’t beat em, join em.
We decided to make it rain inside! This was one of our first weather lessons, certainly our first precipitation lesson. We made a cloud and waited for it to rain. It was so easy and cost nothing. Here’s how to do it.
How to Make an Indoor Rain Cloud
1. Bring a pot of water to a fierce boil.
2. Prop a metal baking sheet or a pie plate above the pot. Make sure you have a few inches of space in between so there is space for the cloud.
3. Place the very hot water on a trivet. Put a lot of ice in the pan above it. (You could hold the ice above the pan while it’s boiling for a more dramatic effect, but safety and logistics made that a less appealing option for me.)
4. Observe the cloud and watch the water accumulate on the pan. Wait for the drops to fall like rain.
Science Talk with Kids
1. Notice how when the hot air meets the cold air a cloud is formed.
2. Notice how the drips need to get bigger and bigger until they finally are so heavy that they drop like rain. Teach them the term, precipitation.
3. Draw connections between the little inside cloud and the big rain clouds outside. Talk about how space is cold and chills the air up high, but how the sun heats up other air. As much as you can let the children lead the discussion with questions and observations. Validate everything that they say.
4. Observe what is happening to the ice. Talk about solids, liquids and gasses. You have all three right there on your table!
5. Talk about the terms steam, fog and clouds.
5. Have fun and encourage patience while waiting for the drips. This will occupy them for at least a half of an hour.
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