Clouds in a Jar Experiment
If you are preparing for your weather lesson, try this Clouds in a Jar Experiment. Kids will love watching a little cloud form inside the jar.
If you love this activity, be sure to check out my list of Fun Weather Activities for Kids.
You just need basic supplies to start this simple experiment so try it out together and then go explore more of the outside world.
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Learning About the Weather
Teaching your children about the weather has wonderful benefits! Weather can relate to many areas of kids’ lives – at home, at school, and in play.
A basic understanding of the fundamentals of weather helps children to navigate their daily environment, understand how it affects their plans, and be active participants in outdoor pursuits.
It also provides a fun creative outlet through participating in activities such as drawing rainbows and making homemade thermometers or barometers.
Recommended Weather Books for Kids
Dive deeper into the weather topic and all of its terminologies with these fun weather books, your kids will love exploring the weather with any of these books.
National Geographic Kids Ultimate Weatherpedia: The most complete weather reference everNational Geographic Readers: WeatherWhat’s the Weather?: Clouds, Climate, and Global WarmingExplore My World CloudsWhen The Sky RoarsWorm Weather (Penguin Core Concepts)
Recommended Weather Activity Kits
Junior Scientist Science Study: Weather
Head outdoors and help your little scientist discover more about the weather with the Junior Scientist Science Study: Weather learning pack.
Junior Scientist Science Study: Severe Weather
Let your kids discover the different extreme weather conditions and what to do if they experience one with this Junior Scientist Science Study: Severe Weather learning pack.
Recommended Weather Science Kits
If you love this science experiment about the weather, check out these other science experiment kits that will make science even more fun!
JA-RU Tornado-Maker Toy (1 Pack) Make Your Own Small Tornado. Shake, Spin and Watch. Science Kit-Weather Toys and Physics Toys for Kids. Learning Education Toys. Party Favor Birthday Gifts. 5462-1AWILD ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Climate Change – Science Kit for Ages 8+ – Real Life Climate Science – Includes Seeds4M Tornado Maker Science Kit, STEM Powered Kids, For Boys & Girls Ages 8+TeiRAY 10 Pieces Tornado Bottle Connectors Cyclone Plastic Tornado Tube Connectors for Scientific Experiment Test,Vortex Bottle Connector, Bottle Connector Tornado 2 LiterSteve Spangler Snowman Science Starter Kit – Fun Science Kit for Kids, Simple and Safe – Makes Realistic, Fluffy Snow in Seconds, Fun STEM Activities for Classroom and Home LearningLearning Resources Weather Center Kit, Weather Science for Kids, Meteorology for Kids, Science at Home, Barometer, Thermometer, Hygrometer, Ages 5+
Clouds in a Jar Experiment Worksheet
This engaging science experiment also includes a free printable worksheet your kids can use to further their learning process about cloud formation!
Clouds in a Jar Steps
Get the fun printable version of this experiment on the first page of this clouds in jar worksheet. Keep the printable handy while your kids are going through this fun science experiment to avoid missing a step!
Before and After the Experiment
Your kids can write down what they think will happen before the experiment, and their observations on what has actually happened after this fun experiment in this part of the worksheet.
Follow-Up Questions on the Experiment
Some more helpful questions are coming your homeschooler’s way on this page. Let your kids answer learning questions about forming clouds in a jar and list down everything they have learned in this fun and engaging activity.
How Clouds Are Formed
Teach your kids about the science behind this clouds-in-a-jar experiment! How cloud formation works, step by step.
Clouds in a Jar Experiment
Have you ever wondered how clouds are formed? With a little bit of creativity and know-how, anyone can take part in a nifty experiment that can help answer this question!
You only need these four supplies to do this.
Supplies Needed for this Experiment
- Ice cubes
- Hot water
- Jar
- Hair Spray
Cloud Jar Experiment Tips
When you fill the jar with hot water, make sure you help or supervise your kids while doing this so they don’t get hurt.
After you add the hair spray, have the lid ready in your other hand so that you can quickly close the lid.
Place some ice cubes on top of the lid. You can use 4-5 cubes depending on how wide the lid is.
Watch as the hot air in the jar rises and forms small clouds.
Voila! You just created your own mini-cloud system right before your eyes. Who knew science could be this much fun?
What is the science behind the clouds in a jar experiment?
Homeschooling is a great way to foster your child’s education, and thanks to the clouds in a jar experiment, it can be an incredibly fun activity too! It’s amazing that kids can explore such complex ideas as this one through simple experiments.
The science behind the experiment is quite straightforward. For the clouds to form, they need warm, moist air so when hot water is poured and stirred, it makes the air moist and warm, causing water vapor to evaporate to the top of the lid.
The next step is the cooling process. It is the reason why the ice cubes were placed at the top of the jar. When water vapor reaches the top of the lid, it cools down.
Third, condensation. Once you spray particles from the hair spray, the water vapor will react to it and will condense the particles. Then, clouds will soon appear and it’s just homeschool science!
Clouds in a Jar Experiment
Equipment
- Ball Regular Mouth 32-Ounces Mason Jar with Lids and Bands (2-Units), Pack of 2, Clear
- White Rain Hair Spray Aerosol Extra Hold 7 Ounces (Value Pack of 3)
Materials
- Jar
- 4-5 ice Cubes
- Hair Spray
- Hot Water
Instructions
- Fill 1/4 of the jar with hot water. Make sure you help or supervise your kids while doing this because of
- Spray the hair spray into the jar and quickly close the lid.
- Place some ice cubes on top of the lid. You can use 4-5 cubes depending on how wide the lid is.
- Watch as the hot air in the jar rises and forms small clouds.
A simple experiment that will give your kids the best time! Not only will they have fun making this but they will learn a lot about clouds and the weather.
Download Your Cloud in a Jar Worksheet Here
Print out these pages to go along with your cloud in a jar experiment to see how you can create your very own cloud.