Theory Thursday: Rain in a Jar

Some experiments are fun to do. Some are even more fun once the planned experiment is over.

This one falls into the second category.

I first saw pictures of this experiment on Pinterest (though the picture didn't lead to a link to credit) and knew that I'd have to do it with the kids. Then, last week they were asking me how it rains. When Thursday rolled around again . . . and it was raining outside. . . I knew exactly what to do.

Make it rain inside too!

All you need is a jar of water, shaving cream, food coloring + water, and something to squirt (eye dropper, syringe, pipette, etc.)

Spray the shaving cream in the jar to resemble clouds.

Get some of the colored water.

And squirt it on the shaving cream clouds.

You could also drip food coloring straight from the bottle directly on the cream, but
1) I didn't trust my kids with the food coloring, and
2) This way they got to play more without using too much coloring.


Once the "clouds" are filled with water . . .
 

It starts to rain!

Continue having fun filling your clouds and making them pour rain.

Try adding other colors to really make it storm!

This visual was a good way to explain the process of rain. The kids thought it was really cool and had fun.

But wait. There's more!

After our downpour, we dumped the colored foamy water into a bowl.

And added more shaving cream, of course.

And spoons.

And paper towels.

And made a mess.

Or two.

Or too many to count.

They squished and stirred. Smashed and squeezed. Splashed and sploshed. 

They played and experimented for nearly an hour.

Zac's favorite part was smacking his hands together and splattering the kitchen with bits of shaving cream. I had speckles on the walls, on the chairs, in between the window blinds, and covering the children.

I finally called it quits when they got too rowdy and tipped the bowl, spilling the concoction on the floor for the third time.

I placed the bowl in the sink and sent the kids to prepare for bed. As I was cleaning up the mess on the table, I noticed Zac.

The little stinker carried the step stool to the sink and continued with his experiment. I think he may have been having a good time.


Sure, making it rain in the jar was fun.

But  experimenting and creating by following their own imaginations was even more exciting.

And messy.

But mostly exciting.

Theory Thursday: Cloud in a Bottle

When I got home today Jake started me to tell about a science project that he watched on the "Amazing Science" DVD we are reviewing. (Look for the review in 2 weeks.)

"You take a plastic bottle and put alcohol in it, and swoosh it around, and put the cap back on. Then you use a drill or pencil or something to put a hole in the bottle. Then you pump it up with air and it goes WHOOOSH!His excitement was a little overwhelming. I knew what we were doing tonight, "Cloud in a Bottle".

It is simple really. Start with a two liter bottle, or any plastic bottle that can handle some pressure. A juice bottle perhaps. (Although I wouldn't try a milk carton.) Put about 1/2 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol in the bottle and "swoosh" it around to coat the bottle with it. Put a hole in the bottle. Now I pre-drilled a hole that fit a rubber fitting I had for our pump, but you can just make a small hole and cover it with duct tape and use a pump with a needle on it. (You know a needle for inflating a ball.) Insert pump end and inflate. We were trying to hit 25-30 psi. Once you get some pressure in it, release the pressure and WHOOOSH! You have a cloud in your bottle.

So why does it happen? I thought you might ask so I looked it up. When pressure is applied to the water in the air the molecules gather together and heat up. When the pressure is released the water molecules separate and cool. As they cool they form a cloud and if they cool further it rains. The alcohol evaporates quicker than water and releases its bond with itself quicker thus the alcohol cloud in the bottle forms quicker and with better visibilty than water would. (check this site for deeper info stevespanglerscience.com)

You may have noticed that there are no pictures in this post. That's because we did a video. Check out how much fun we had trying this out. Do you see our special guest in the background, its the new kid in school.

Now its your turn grab the supplies from the closet, bathroom, and recycle bin and give it a try.

Make It Monday: Thunderstorms

April showers bring may flowers. We made the flowers last week and the rain this week. (Ok, so maybe we're a little dyslexic.)

We used a shower pouf to make clouds.

Finger prints make perfect little rain drops.

Jake insisted they add yellow lightening bolts. What a storm!

Painting with the pouf was so much fun! It was addicting dab-dab-dabbing it on the paper. And of course, finger painting is always a good time. Once they were done painting their storms, they moved on to the newspaper. Alyssa attacked the paper with the pouf and made swirls with her finger. Jake took the experimental route and spent time mixing the paint to make new colors. 

We started with the paint in juice caps and a coffee can top. (It's a good way to re-use things you already have. Plus, you don't have to spend time washing them afterward. Just toss them in the garbage and save on water too!)  Eventually, we squirted the paint right on the newspaper for them to spread around.

You really need to try painting with a pouf! They clean well and are tons of fun. Use your imagination and make sure to come back and share your creations with us!