How Does It Rain?

“How Does It Rain?” – Simulated Rain in a Jar.

With all the rain we have been getting over the past several months, children are curious as to why and how it rains. They have offered a host of unscientific, yet adorable explanations such as, “The clouds are crying” or “Rain comes from lightning.” To help these little minds better understand how and why it rains, we conducted a science project simulating rain activity right here, in our UPK4 (Universal PreK 4-year-olds) classroom. We simulated the water cycle (i.e., the cycle involved in moving water around the earth through a process of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation) to help little minds understand how rain is formed and why it falls from the sky. Want to learn how we did this?
Materials needed:

Glass jar tempered for heat
Saran wrap
Frozen waffles, ice pack, or any other frozen item that fits nicely over your jar

Instructions:
(Please note that adult supervision is always required.)

1.Remove lid off jar.
2.Fill your jar with boiling water.
3.Cover mouth of jar completely with Saran wrap.
4.Place frozen waffles (or a substitute) on top of the Saran wrap.
5.Final step: Sit back and watch the wonder unfold! “It’s raining inside the jar!”