Summer is in full swing and July is one of our hottest months! It’s also a great time to enjoy the afternoon rain showers that bring much needed water for nature. Here’s a fun experiment to examine how rain is formed without getting wet! Most supplies should be easily found at home.

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Items Needed:

- Glass jar or Mason jar

- Plate

- Hot water

- Kettle or pot

- Ice cubes

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Steps:

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1. Heat water in a kettle or pot until it is steaming. Adults should help children with this step.

2. With the help of an adult, pour the hot water into the jar until it’s a third filled.

3. Next, put a plate on top of the jar and wait a few minutes.

4. Put ice cubes on top of the plate and watch the jar closely. You should see streams of water run down the sides of the jar making it rain!

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Wow! It’s raining inside!

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The cold plate causes the warm moisture in the jar to condense and form water droplets. This is the same thing that happens when it rains outside. Warm, moist area rises up and meets cooler air in the atmosphere. When the water vapor condenses, it creates precipitation that falls to the ground. In this way, the cycle continues!

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Source: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-make-rain.html

Photo source: https://healthymamainfo.com/2012/03/kid-science-rain-jar/

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