Cloud in a Jar Experiment is an extension activity from our C is Cotton Cloud Collage. Both activities have been inspired by the book Little Cloud by Eric Carle (Affiliate link).
Creating a Cloud in a Jar is a great way of extending the learning about clouds and to get kids thinking about how it rains and what causes rain.
What you will need?
Making a Cloud in a Jar is so simple to set up and you only need basic items from around the house. You will need a jar, blue food colouring, shaving cream and water.
Let’s Make
- Add water to the jar.
- Squirt some shaving cream on top. The thicker the layer of shaving cream the longer it takes for the drops of colour to come through.
- Squeeze drops of blue food colouring on top of the shaving cream.
- Watch carefully as the makes its way through the “cloud” and then drop into the clear water down below.
Let’s Play
Some Ideas:
- Draw a picture of what you saw happening with the cloud in a jar experiment.
- Re-use the coloured shaving cream and place it into a tub for sensory play.
- Try different coloured food dye and create a raining rainbow.
- Make predictions before the activity and talk about what is happening throughout the process. Use descriptive language.
Let’s Learn
Learning Opportunities
- Language development: Using descriptive words to express ideas and opinions.
- Make connections with real life experiences.
- Promote scientific thinking: predictions, observations, comparison, reasoning, data gathering, experimentation and evaluation
- Hand-Eye Coordination and Control
- Cause and Effect
- Concentration
Click here for more SCIENCE activities & play ideas
I like the cloud in the jar because it is so much fun
This is a interesting experiment.