Instant Cloud in a Bottle Demonstration

Snow, anyone?  We have relatives that are shoveling snow as I type, but this afternoon, we played outside in  shorts and t-shirts!  Snow, rain, and clouds are all fun topics for preschoolers, and this quick and easy demonstration helps them see how clouds are full of water!

Simple Supplies:

• clear, glass bottle or jar (mason jars work great)
• small pot of boiling water (small pots boil faster!)
• tongs or a hot pad

Easy How-To:

1- Make sure your pot has boiling water and that your children are at a safe distance.  Show them the empty jar and talk about how they can see straight through it.

2- Use a hot pad or tongs to tip the jar upside down about a foot above the boiling water.  Water will collect inside the jar and along the walls.

3- Show your children the cloud and let them watch as it dissipates!

You can also discuss how frozen water makes snow, how water can evaporate from many places to form clouds in the air, how water molecules "stick" to each other forming larger clouds, and how sometimes the water gets too "heavy" and rains or snows down!

It's hard to photograph a "cloud," even if it is in a jar or bottle, but this picture should give you an idea of what to expect.  It is much easier to see the water collecting in real life than in a picture!



I may share at any of these parties!