Making It Rain: Rain Cloud In A Jar

rain cloud in a jar

Making It Rain

Due to Big Brother’s fascination (and fear) of various types of weather, I thought now would be a great time to start a new Weather Thematic Unit.  We’re not forecasted to receive any rain for the next couple weeks around here (which we desperately need), so perhaps our little experiment will rub off on the weather!

This water cycle project idea (and many others that we’ll be trying) came from Weather Wiz Kids. Take a look at the site (created by a meteorologist), it’s got tons of great ideas!

How To Make It Rain

You will need:

  • glass jar
  • plate
  • water
  • ice cubes

What to do:

making it rain
1. Heat your water until it is steaming.

 

making it rain
2. Pour the hot water into a jar until it is about 1/3 filled. Put a plate on the top of the jar. Wait a minute or two before the next step.

 

making it rain in a glass jar
3. Put the ice cubes on top of the plate and watch closely to see what happens inside the jar.

 

making it rain
4. Streaks of water will run down the side of the jar, making rain!

This rain in a jar activity would probably be more appropriate for children who are slightly older, but Big Brother enjoyed it (for about 20 seconds, anyway). :)

Can Your Science Explain Why It Rains?

Wonder what makes it rain… Go here under “explanation” to find out!

This post was first published June 2011. Updated 2018.

Literature Link

 
Rain by Robert Kalan & Donald Crews
A colorful and wonderfully-illustrated book for young readers, simple and repetitive!

Click here for more easy science ideas:

Bouncy Egg Experiment

Making It Rain Experiment

Science Experiments for Kids

How To Make A Homemade Lava Lamp

Oobleck Recipe: Liquid or Solid?

Ice Cream In A Bag Experiment

Awesome Science Fair Project Ideas for Kids

 

23 Comments

  1. Awesome project, found it on Pinterest. I have it pinned for a project tomorrow and that post will go up next Monday. I always link back to the “pin” but if you like I will link directly here. Just let me know =)

  2. I am sorry that you did not have a good experience in school, but many teachers I have the experience of knowing do teach this way.

    1. You need to look at the bottom of the plate inside the jar. Look closely, as water vapor condenses to form water droplets on the bottom of the plate inside the jar. For more of a visual instead of a plate put plastic wrap over the top of the jar and seal with tape or a large rubber band. You will really see the condensation on the plastic wrap. Do not be so quick to judge until you fully understand the experiment. This one does work and it teachers the water cycle process.

    2. You need to look at the bottom of the plate inside the jar. Look closely, as water vapor condenses to form water droplets on the bottom of the plate inside the jar. For more of a visual instead of a plate put plastic wrap over the top of the jar and seal with tape or a large rubber band. You will really see the condensation on the plastic wrap. Do not be so quick to judge until you fully understand the experiment. This one does work and it teaches the water cycle process.

  3. This was the worst experiment ever. You don’t even need the ice, it is just the water from the steam rolling down the sides of the glass jar.

  4. Hi Jenae! I love this project for teaching about part of the hydrologic cycle. I put a link to it in my latest blog post to share with my readers (thank you!!). I love your blog!!

  5. I think it is a good experiment. A good idea is to place a long handled metal spoon into the jar, before pouring the hot water into the jar. The metal spoon will take the heat, instead of the jar, and help to prevent the jar from cracking with the hot water.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *