Rain Jars
Rain Jars
A calming, visual way to explore weather, patience, and a little bit of science.
A bit about it
This one’s always a favourite… simple materials, beautiful results, and a whole lot of “wow” moments as the rain begins to fall. It’s a gentle little experiment that gives kids a visual sense of how clouds hold moisture before it falls as rain.
It’s also a lovely one for slowing down and watching what happens when we wait.
You’ll need
Clear jar or glass
Water
Shaving foam (not gel or cream)
Food colouring (blue works beautifully, but any colours are fine)
Droppers or pipettes
A small cup or jar for mixing the dye
How to do it
1. Fill your jar about ¾ full with water.
2. Add shaving foam to the top. This is your cloud.
3. In a separate cup, mix a few drops of food colouring with a little water.
4. Use a dropper to slowly drip the coloured water on top of the foam.
5. Wait and watch. After a short while, the colour will start to fall through like rain.
What it encourages
Scientific thinking and curiosity
Observation and patience
Fine motor skills and hand strength
Conversations about the weather, nature, and the water cycle
A note on setup It helps to do this somewhere kids can get close to eye level with the jar, on the floor, a low table or even outside. It can take a minute or two before the colour breaks through, so remind little ones to be patient and keep watching.
You can use blue for a classic raincloud look, or go with rainbow clouds just for fun. Either way, they always look magical as the colours swirl down.
