Often called “Storm in a Jar” or something similarly dramatic, this quick activity demonstrates how clouds become saturated with moisture and then release it as rain!
You will need
- A glass jar or bowl (We used a hurricane.)
- Water
- Shaving cream
- An eye dropper or similar
- Food coloring (as many or as few colors as desired)
- Childlike wonder
Fill your glass container about halfway with water. Top with some shaving cream clouds. Then use your eyedropper to drip food coloring into the top of the shaving cream. When part of your cloud becomes saturated, you’ll see the color start “raining” down into the clear water.
Scientific concepts to explore:
- saturation
- density
- color-mixing
- types of precipitation
We also enjoyed Deepak Pathania’s video of this activity and his accompanying explanation, below:
Rainbow Rain