Teach your little one all about the rain!
How is measuring rainfall thinking like a scientist? It’s easy to make the connection with this simple rain gauge. As you make it together, discuss words like meteorologist, atmosphere, and forecast. Read a weather forecast, find a good spot for the gauge then wait, observe, and measure the rain that collects in it. Let your child make a table to record the results when it rains. Make a note of the day and amount of rain, then compare it to the forecast. Hint: before the first rain, your child can check to make sure the water at the starting mark hasn’t evaporated.
Materials
- Empty liter soda bottle
- Scissors
- Sand
- Water
- Clear packing tape
- Construction paper
- Marker
- Ruler
Method
- Create a measurement card using your ruler. Draw lines across the paper as you place ½ inch and 1 inch marks all the way to 5 inches.
- Cut top off empty liter bottle. (adult supervision is advised)
- Fill bottom of liter bottle with sand to the one inch mark.
- Add water to the sand line.
- Place measurement card on the outside of the bottle with clear packing tape. Make sure the measurements show on the inside of the bottle.
- Use the top part of the bottle and place it upside down inside the bottle to make a funnel.
- Add clear packing tape to secure and hold the funnel in place.
- Place your new rain gauge outside to catch the rain.
- Keep a measurement journal and write down how much rain falls each day.
Literacy Connection: You were probably a kid the last time you felt the rain could be a joyous occasion. Singing in the Rain by Tim Hopgood is a new twist on the old attitude of rain, rain, go away! There’s no such thing as bad weather with this classic throwback to one of the world’s best-loved songs. Children don’t care if you’re not the best singer, they just want to see you be happy, so go ahead and sing this story with style! You’ll be laughing at the clouds and appreciating at least something about a rainy day with this positive message.
