rain cloud jar experiment

Rain Cloud in a Jar Science Experiment with Printable Recording Sheets

This rain cloud in a jar is a weather science experiment gives young children a chance to explore clouds and rain in a hands-on and engaging way!

If you are looking for a simple and easy science activity to do with the kids this spring, this is perfect for you. Plus, it includes free printable recording sheets for kids in preschool and elementary!

Make a Rain Cloud in a Jar

This classic weather activity for kids is favorite in classrooms and homes. I did a similar version of it when we did this clouds and rain experiment a while back. My version lasts a bit longer and is great way to incorporate additional fine motor practice, but I wanted to give the classic a try too.

*Note: This science experiment should be done with adult supervision at all times.

Plus, I have printable recording sheets for preschool and early elementary students and another one for older students.

Supplies Needed:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Printable recording sheets (button to download at the bottom of the post)
• A large jar  (I used a plastic one like this)
• Shaving cream  (not a gel version)
• Gel Food coloring  or  washable watercolors
• Pipettes  or  droppers

Setting Up the Weather Experiment

• In a small cup, mix the food coloring with some water.
• Fill the large jar with water until it is about 3/4 full.
• Place the jar and the cups of colored water on the table. Place a pipette in each cup of colored water.
• Right before the kids are ready to do the experiment, spray a bunch of shaving cream in the jar until it is just a small bit above the top of the jar.

Doing the Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment

Ask the kids to pick up some colored water with a pipette and squirt it on top of the shaving cream cloud. Repeat this step one or two more times, but pay close attention to what is happening below the cloud!

The colored water will begin to seep down through the shaving cream and into the water below. Just like rain!

How it Works

The shaving cream represents the clouds and the water represents the air. The colored water represents rain. As the colored water saturates the “cloud”, it gets heavy and eventually is so heavy that it can no longer hold the water. It “rains” down into the jar – through the “air.” It is just like real rain falls through the air.

This was a fantastic simple science activity to do with the kids (3 and 5). So I think this would be a great one to do in the preschool classroom or at home with your own kids.

If you are doing it with a class of students, I would suggest setting up several jars and cups of colored water so that each child has a chance to add some colored water to the jar.

Check out these other neat science experiments for kids!

30 Science Activities for Preschoolers That are Totally Awesome

Growing Plants Science Activity

Melting Snow Science Experiment

Rain Cloud in a Jar

Making a rain cloud in a jar is a fun and easy way to teach children how it rains .  Kids will love the magical wow factor and YOU’LL love the easy prep!

Check out the simple step-by-step below and then take our 5 Day Challenge to set up STEM centers your students will love and to build a system for teaching STEM in your classroom!

Getting Ready

To make our rain cloud in a jar, we gathered a few simple items:

• Food coloring
• A clear jar
• Shaving cream
• Plastic pipettes

First, we mixed a few drops of food coloring into some water and set it aside. This served as our “rain.”

My preschooler loved making rain so much that we ended up repeating this activity several times with blue, yellow, purple, red and green food coloring.

I filled our glass jar about 3/4 of the way full with cool water.

Once we made a fluffy “cloud” on top of the water using shaving cream, we were ready to get to the fun part: making it rain!

I instructed my preschooler to suck up some of the colored water into her pipette and then gently squirt it on top of our shaving cream cloud. She quickly became a pro.

As she squirted more and more water onto the shaving cream, our cloud became heavier and heavier.

Within a few minutes, the first drops of colored rain made their way through the cloud and dropped into the water underneath.

There were cheers of excitement and lots of jumping up and down as we watched the colored water drop down through the clouds!

We continued to saturate the shaving cream clouds with water until they started to deflate and melt down the side of the jar.

My daughter had so much fun, we rinsed out the jar and started all over again with a new rain color!  We had a blast making differently colored rain clouds in a jar.

The Science Behind It

Clouds are formed when water vapor rises into the air and condenses onto tiny particles of dust. When billions of these droplets come together, a visible cloud forms.

Over time, the droplets and crystals that make up a cloud can attract more water to themselves.

When water droplets grow heavy enough, gravity pulls them down as raindrops.

Making a rain cloud in a jar is obviously a simplistic model of how it actually rains, but it gives young children a hands-on visual that is extremely valuable to their learning. Plus, it’s fun!

More Fun for Little Learners

Want more STEM?  Take our 5 Day Challenge to set up STEM centers your students will love and to build a system for teaching STEM in your classroom!

Similar Posts

Inflate a Balloon with Yeast Experiment

Mermaid Addition Match Up

Ten Frame Mitten Match

Flower Symmetry Activities

Flip and Color Shape Game

Rainbow to 10 Math Craftivity

• Pingback: STEM Activities to do at home with your preschooler
• Pingback: Alphabet Letter R is for Rainbow Craft for Preschool | Fun Rain Mobile

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save Your Favorite Ideas

Rain Cloud in a Jar

For a fun and easy science experiment that explores weather – try this Rain Cloud in a Jar experiment . Kids can learn how it rains through this fun and engaging science experiment. This is a great activity for preschool and elementary kids. They will love seeing their “rain” fall from the cloud!

RELATED: Grow a Rainbow Experiment

Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment

Kids love doing this easy science experiment. Not only is it a fun activity but it’s a great learning exercise too. They also get to practice fine motor work by using a pipette or dropper.

Try this experiment the classic way using only blue food coloring, or switch it up and make a rainbow rain cloud in a jar.

The Science

Cloud formation happens when water vapor rises into the air. When this vapor hits cold air, it turns into tiny droplets of water. These droplets start to stick together and form clouds. When the clouds get full of water that they can’t hold anymore, the water falls down as rain.

In this experiment, the clouds are the shaving cream and the food colored water is the rain. As you drop the colored water into the cloud the weight of the water forces itself through the cloud to “rain” down into the jar.

Supplies Needed to Make a Rain Cloud in a Jar

– Clear Vase or Mason Jar

– Shaving Cream

– Food Coloring Gel (one in each color of the rainbow) – we like to use this liquid food coloring gel since it’s concentrated and makes the colors really vibrant

– Droppers – if you want to do the rainbow of colors, you’ll need 6 droppers to separate out the colors

– Water

– Small Bowls for the Food Coloring

Watch the Video Tutorial Here!

How to make a rain cloud in a jar.

1. Add a few drops of food coloring gel for each color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) into a small bowl for each color. Add a little bit of water to dilute it, but not too much to keep the colors vibrant. Add a pipette into each bowl of food coloring.

2. Fill your vase or mason jar about 3/4 full of water.

3. Add shaving cream on top.

4. Now you can start dropping your “raindrops” into the vase or jar. The drops will slowly make their way through the “clouds” into the water. If you find they are not dropping down, you can also push the pipette a little bit more into the shaving cream (but be careful not to push too far or you’ll end up in the water).

Kids can have fun mixing up the colors they add to the jar. Or they can try adding the colors in the order of the rainbow to make a rainbow version!

To make the rainbow version, you will need 6 bowls (one for each color – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple). Then quickly add each color in the order of the rainbow.

We love how easy this science experiment is to set up. And kids love to use the droppers to make it “rain”.

The rainbow version is a lot of fun to try too! We hope you enjoy this easy science experiment!

More Science Experiments

Try this fun and easy Grow a Rainbow Experiment . You only need washable markers and paper towel!

For another fun experiment, make some oobleck! 

Related Ideas:

Cloud Dough

The BEST Playdough Recipe

50+ Christmas Crafts for Kids

Salt Dough Recipe

Share a comment.

We LOVE hearing from you! Submit your question or comment here.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cancel Reply

2 comments on “rain cloud in a jar”.

Awesome love all the science activities for the kids. They are simple and inexpensive.

These are such great ideas

Sign up for my FREE newsletter and get new ideas to your inbox!

• Curiosity Trail
• Sensory Bottles
• *Support Me*
• Search for...

The New Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment

• May 14, 2021 November 2, 2022

I have admired the traditional Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment ever since I first saw it several years ago. My oldest son and I have made it together many times, and we always enjoy it. I have been wanting to create my own version, and I finally came up with something I liked!

The Traditional Experiment

In the traditional version, a jar is filled with water and topped with a shaving cream “cloud”. Next, you add water to a small dish and put in a few drops of blue food coloring. Finally, using a pipette or dropper, you drop the blue water into the cloud and when it hits saturation it “rains” down into the water below. It’s a fun experiment to do with small children, and you can explain how rain occurs.

One thing that has always bothered me about the traditional experiment is that it only lasts a few minutes before the clear water in the jar becomes saturated with blue coloring. I wanted to figure out a way around this so that the fun can last even longer, and I came up with a super easy solution!

My New Experiment

In my New Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment, my jar is filled with baby oil. That’s the only difference! I filled the jar with baby oil, topped it with a shaving cream “cloud”, and dropped in blue-tinted water. The first time I tried this, I was very pleased with the way the blue water “rain” looked as it fell through the baby oil “sky”. But, using a dropper just didn’t create enough raindrops for my taste.

I used a push pin to poke holes in the lid of an old plastic bottle. Then, I filled it with water and added blue food coloring. When I turned the bottle upside down over the jar of oil, drops fell from each of the holes, creating a beautiful rain!

Also, I like creating the shaving cream rain cloud, and then scooping out the middle so that the drops fall straight into the oil. It’s just faster and easier this way. Personal preference.

This experiment is extra cool because you can use it to teach multiple concepts. There is the traditional lesson about how rain forms and falls from clouds. Then, there is the lesson about the density of oil vs. water. And, if enough water is dropped into the jar, it even looks like an ocean forms in the bottom. So, you could discuss the entire water cycle!

After I had dialed in all of the details of my New Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment, I invited my little one to come give it a try. We tried both the dropper and the bottle. The dropper was easier for him, because his little hands weren’t quite strong enough to squeeze the bottle. He had fun trying both, though, and has already asked to do this experiment again! I’d call that a success!

If you are interested in trying the New Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment, here is what I used:

The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your consideration!

• Glass jar (Amazon)
• Fill 3/4 of the way with baby oil (Amazon)
• Top with shaving cream (Amazon)
• Mix water with blue food coloring (Amazon)
• Use a dropper to drop the water into the jar (Amazon)

Thank you for checking out my New Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment!

“Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as the droplets on the fresh grass and as the showers on the herb.” Deuteronomy 32:2

Would you like to support my blog? It’s as simple as clicking one of the links below and making any regular purchase. For more ways you can show your support, check out my Support Me page.

Share this:

6 thoughts on “the new rain cloud in a jar experiment”.

Sarah, I simply love this idea and how you have developed it to make it amazing! Thank you and thank you for allowing us to share your wonderful ideas with others! Keep it up! You are making a positive difference in the world! Amy

Thanks, Amy!! Your kind words brightened my day! – Sarah

I am with you about the traditional rain in a cloud experiment, but this is AWESOME!!!! I can’t wait to show the kids this new way. Love to see the drops in the air. Science for little ones is an open mind to new experiences. Thank you for sharing your new ideas.

I’m so glad you like this, Mercedes! I hope your kids enjoy it! Thank you for the comment! -Sarah

Pingback:  Weather Science Experiments for Kids - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls

I love it! But why not buy “locally”, instead of making even richer a wealthy man? It’s only my objection to that proejct. From Mallorca, Balearic Island, Spain.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Overview

• arts & crafts
• _famous artists
• _process art
• _paint recipes
• _keepsake crafts
• _book activities
• _sensory bins
• _sensory play recipes
• _science experiments
• _free printables
• _colouring pages
• _valentines day
• _st patrick's day
• _mother's day
• _father's day
• _thanksgiving

Rain Cloud in a jar Science Experiment

• Lava Lamp Science Experiment 
• Rainbow Baking Soda Science Experiment
• Rainbow Walking Water Science Experiment
• Colour Changing Flowers Science Experiment

How do clouds drop rain?

Cloud in a jar science experiment, cloud in a jar experiment supplies.

• Clear glass jar (or cup) 
• Shaving cream
• Blue food colouring 
• Plastic Spoon

How do you make a rain cloud in a jar?

Step 1: start by adding water.

STEP 2: Add the shaving cream

STEP 3: Apply drops of food colouring

STEP 4: Enjoy the experiment in action!

• — Share It —

No comments

Hello & Welcome!

Follow By Email

Join the fun subscribe to our newsletter to have fun ideas delivered to your inbox subscribe.

Get FREE craft and activity ideas

Join our newsletter to have ideas delivered to your inbox each week!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Copyright Messy Little Monster . Blog design by Designs by Kassie . Privacy Policy Here

Raining Cloud in a Jar Science Experiment

Categories STEM Activities

If you’ve ever had a kid ask you how rain works, you can show them easily with this cloud in a jar science experiment!   It’s the perfect addition to any spring STEM activities that you try this year.

Make a raining rainbow right at home!

Science experiments for kids can be super complicated. Just the other day, we did a full-blown energy efficiency experiment with control groups, recording, measuring, variations, and the whole nine yards.

That was really cool, but, we don’t always have time for such complicated and involved science lessons and STEM activities. That’s why sometimes we like our science experiments to take less than 10 minutes, like this rain cloud in a jar science experiment!

Easy Raining Cloud in a Jar Activity for Kids

Little kids, too, love discovering science and experimenting but they’re not ready for complicated projects.

The raining rainbow cloud in a jar (our version was a hurricane!), shows kids how clouds hold on to moisture until it gets too heavy, then, it releases it all in a big gush of rain!

Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment

Find out how to make your own raining rainbow below.

This project is appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers (as long as they don’t try to eat the shaving cream).

Rain in a Jar Experiment Science

Shaving cream represents clouds in the air. The water represents the air that we breathe and the atmosphere. The colored rainbow water represents rain.

Just like a real cloud, when the shaving cream “cloud” gets too full of colored water, it “rains” the liquid down into the jar just like real clouds rain water back down to earth.

What you’ll need for the rainbow cloud in a a jar experiment:

If you’re in a rush, these are our favorite weather science kits.

• Shaving cream
• Food coloring in as many rainbow colors as you can find (we found red, yellow, green, blue, and purple)

Directions to Make a Rain Cloud in a Jar

Don’t make the shaving cream layer too thick if you have impatient kids or they will get bored before the liquid travels all the way through the shaving cream.

Drop the food coloring on the surface of the cloud in a rainbow pattern. We wanted to see if we could actually get the clouds to rain a rainbow shape, but that didn’t quite work out.

But we were left with some pretty, swirly colors!

Keep adding colors a bit at a time until your whole jar is a hurricane of swirling color. You can see how the jar looked at the end when you watch through the video that is at the top of the directions. Sometimes it takes a little while for the colors to break through, so just be patient and you’ll soon have a swirl of fun rainbow colors in your jar!

More Weather Activities for Kids

How to Make a Cloud in a Jar

STEM Weather Activities

Puffy Paint Cloud Types

Weather Books for Kids

Share this project with a friend!

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Fun with Mama

Toddler and preschool activities

Written by Nadia T • Feb 7, 2024 • Leave a Comment

Rain Cloud In A Jar Science Experiment

Have you ever tried the rain cloud in a jar science experiment that uses shaving cream, food coloring and water? It is such an easy science experiment that truly looks like art! While we didn’t do the experiment in a jar, but rather a plastic glass… the effect was the same (and likely even more pretty!) This activity is a part of our 90+ Indoor activities for kids

Rain Cloud In A Jar

We are constantly doing science experiments at home (see Easy Science Experiments For Preschoolers ),

So many activities can be done just by using water mixed with food coloring like the Color Mixing Water Activity For Kids and the walking water experiment too.

The rain cloud in a jar explains to a child more about the weather/water cycle… The ‘cloud’ holds water until it can no longer do so… All the droplets of water add up to the point where the cloud eventually releases it and this turns into ‘rain’

Here is a quick video:

All you need to do the rain cloud in a jar activity is:

• Glass or jar
• Food coloring (you can use just one color but I chose to use multiple colors)
• Jars, bowls or test tubes for the food color mixed with water. ( I am using this one )
• Foaming Shaving cream
• Pipettes or food droppers. ( This is the one I am using here .)

I have included a video of the activity here:

Here is a step by step tutorial:

First you mix your water color with your selected food colors.

Then add a good amount of shaving cream to each jar or glass. This part can be tough for kids … you can have your children try to do this first (when you are working with older children) or mom/teacher can do this part.

I suggest you include a thicker layer of shaving cream, I was having a bit of shaving cream malfunction here. (haha! But it still worked.)

Then have your children drop the food coloring on top of the shaving cream.

Observe what happens.

If you use just blue and green, this would be great as an earth day activity.

But I think the hot pink is absolutely beautiful in there!

It is about a 5-10 minute activity that the kids will love!

Pair the rain cloud in a jar activity with the Exploring Ocean Layers Science Activity for Kids .

Do your kids love playing with shaving cream? Then check out the  Shaving Cream Painting Process Art for Preschoolers activity.

Our next activity is going to be a condensation cloud activity to build upon this activity.

Nadia is a mom of 4, with a passion for making childhood education fun through play. She encourages parents to spend quality time with their kids through fun kids activities and enjoys art, traveling, and doing activities with her children.

View all posts from this author

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

Get easy and instant access to ALL of our printable activities and resources by joining the Fun With Mama printables club.

Get all the details and join here.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Have you grabbed the latest FREE printables?

Rainbow Rain – Rain Cloud in a Jar

Sometimes you need a simple activity, that teaches some fundamental science principles, while also being absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. This is that activity! Rainbow Rain also known as Shaving Cream Rain Cloud or Rain Clouds in a Jar, is a simple demonstration that will add some gorgeous colour and WOW factor to your weather science lessons.

Shaving Cream Rain Clouds Simple Science Experiment

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

In this activity we are learning about the weather and why it rains. Fundamental concepts but with a gorgeous, colourful, rainbow twist.

Rainbow activities are always fun as they make boring activities vibrant and exciting. So with this activity we could have stuck with a simple blue rain, but we wanted more excitement!

Plus this activity leads to a lot of different investigations and critical thinking if you let kids explore their curiosity, ask questions, and create their own variations of this activity to see what happens.

This is some of the most powerful learning for kids, because it fosters a love of learning.

Rainbow Shaving Cloud Supplies

For this activity you need:

A wide mouth jar, cup, vase or container. You can also do this in a series of cups, one for each colour. The only requirement is that the containers are clear so you can see what is happening.

Food Colouring – Water based in the squeezeable droppers is easiest, but you can adapt to any type. See our variation of this activity below for one twist!

Shaving Cream

Start by filling your container about about 3/4 full with water.

Add shaving cream at the top to create the cloud.

Now add the food colouring by dropping it onto your cloud.

Watch for your rainbow rain to start falling as your clouds fill with liquid.

Shaving Cream Rain Cloud Science

Clouds are formed from water vapour that forms into droplets in the sky. These droplets gather together, until they become so heavy that they fall down to the Earth as rain (or snow if it’s cold).

The rain falls due to gravity and is part of the water cycle .

In this experiment our rain is the the food colouring which is a water based. As we add it to our shaving cream cloud, the cloud swells with liquid just like a cloud until it becomes so heavy it falls into our water below.

There is a second scientific phenomenon we can witness as our colourful rain mixes with our water, it is called diffusion. You can learn more about diffusion here .

Cloud in a Jar Extensions

Like any great experiment, we want our kids to ask questions, to wonder, and to come up with new theories and experiments they can do to test their theories. This is part of the Scientific Method .

With our experiment we discussed different options like how water temperature might affect our results . But the thing that peaked our curiosity was the fact that water concentration in the clouds is what causes rain, so what if we increased the amount of water by diluting our food colouring?

Dig deeper! Make a Cloud in a Jar with water vapours, just like real clouds in these easy experiments .

Rainbow Rain Experiment 2

For this rain cloud variation we needed some additional glasses to mix up our food colouring with water. We also needed a way to add the colourful mixtures to our clouds. We decided on a syringe, but a pipette or even a spoon would have worked.

Then we conducted our experiment the same way we did but this time with our diluted food colouring mixes.

The results were similar but we did notice that the shaving cream cloud got much heavier and darker before releasing our colours.

Such a cool result!

This simple experiment is so much fun and a great way to foster curiosity and fun with science. If you enjoyed this experiment you might want to try one of these simple science experiments for kids.

Happy Experimenting!

5 Days of Smart STEM Ideas for Kids

Get started in STEM with easy, engaging activities.

See our latest activities and ideas first!

Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment Shows How to Make Rain

Are you looking for a fun weather science project for the kids? Check out this Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment ! It’s a great way to learn all about how the clouds hold onto and release rain. Pair this up with a fun water cycle activity and you can easily create an entire lesson dedicated to learning all about clouds, rain, and weather.

The kids are going to love this Rain Clouds Experiment!

How to Make Rain Clouds

Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment

How many times have you been outside and had it to where it just suddenly started raining? Not only is it a fun feeling to be sprinkled on but it’s also a great learning lesson for the kids.

This rain cloud in a jar science project will show them how raindrops from the clouds while giving them a great visual to see and reference.

Once they do the project, you can even have them make their own rain cloud in a jar worksheet where they write out the process that they just saw.

The shaving cream represents the clouds and the water represents the air. The blue colored water represents rain.

Rain Clouds Experiment

What you will need to make your Rain Cloud in a Jar is in this picture below. However, I have it displayed in a recipe list form to print out towards the bottom of the page. Have Fun!

Supplies Needed:

• Blue dye, paint or food coloring
• Shaving cream
• Droppers or pipettes
• Clear glass or jar
• Tray, mat and or towels to soak up any spills

How to Make a Rain Cloud

Start by filling the water glass ½ to ¾ full, either one will work perfectly fine. Just simply plan ahead for how much colored water you think your kiddos may want to add in so you can avoid it overflowing.

Let the kids help with these steps so that they can be a part of the fun!

Add the shaving cream to the top of the clear water glass or jar, aim for it to be about an inch thick.

Once that is done, it’s time to start with the experiment.

Weather Science

Add some color to a little bit of the water in a separate jar or jars. We did some with a couple of different shades of blue spread out over a few jars.

Take and use the droppers to add a little bit of color at a time to the top of the shaving cream.

Science Activities for Kids

Just like real rain clouds, the shaving cream will try to hold onto the ‘rain’ for as long as possible until they get to be too heavy, and then the blue colored water will start to ‘rain’ down into the clear water in the jar.

Step back and let the kids watch the process. Talk to them about what they’re seeing.

This project is so fun and simple and it’s easy to do over and over again.

For older kids, you can expand this work by talking about the water cycle, types of clouds, and weather patterns.

Making a rain cloud in a jar is a fun and easy way to teach children how it rains. 

Our Original Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment used rainbow colors for the raindrops. It was a lot of fun, but I think the kids got a better understanding by just using the blue for water.

And if you want a free science printable to go along with this experiment you can also download that from the original rain cloud experiment.

Best Science Experiments

Once you make this Rain Cloud in a Jar, your kids will love these easy science experiments too.

• Lava Lamp Bottles
• Water Pollution Activities
• Flower Science Activities
• 22+ Kitchen Science Experiments

PIN THIS WEATHER SCIENCE ACTIVITY TO SAVE

The Water Cycle for Kids

Studies have shown that you will also love the following ideas if you like them. I have pulled them together for you right here!

Water Theme Summer Camp

Rain Cloud in a Jar Science Project

Fun Rain Cloud in Jar Science Experiment

Have you ever wanted to play with the clouds? This fun rain cloud in jar science experiment will give you and your children the chance to do just that — at least in part.

These shaving cream rain clouds will get your children excited about weather science and leave them wanting more! This is the perfect introduction or conclusion to your science unit on weather, storms, the water cycle, or ecosystems.

>> See the other weather activities for kids here.

This rain cloud in a jar experiment is super simple and super easy. And the result is amazing! So it will capture the attention of both younger and older children. So before we go into how to make a rain cloud in a jar, let’s go over some resources you may want, to take advantage of your children’s new interest in weather.

As much as thunderstorms might be a little scary, rain can be soothing and fascinating. There’s nothing like a good rain shower to clean out the air and make the world feel clean and new again. Get up close and personal with a cloudburst with these shaving cream rain clouds! Let’s get started.

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read my disclosure policy here.

See a list of my favorite Amazon Deals for your home and homeschool.

Recommended Weather Books for Kids

There’s nothing like a good book to help kids learn. And these are some of our favorites for teaching about weather and rain. Follow along with National Geographic’s fantastic lineup of education books for kids, or try one of the cute stories on rainy weather, rainbows, and having fun in the rain. What will be on your list today?

Recommended Educational Weather Kits

If you’re looking for a fun and educational way to teach your kids about the weather, these toys are perfect for that purpose! Get one of these hands-on and engaging activity kits for your kids and see for yourself that they will love it!

Supplies for Rain Cloud Experiment

You’ll need a large jar for this experiment. We like mason jars, but an old spaghetti sauce or cheese spread jar would work just fine. For best results, get a quart-size or bigger jar.

You’ll also need some shaving cream and, of course, blue food coloring.

How to Make a Rain Cloud in a Jar

Ready to create the rain cloud in a jar science experiment? Let’s get started!

This experiment is actually easy to do. First, fill your jar with water, leaving only about an inch between the surface of the water and the edge of the jar.

Then spray some of the shaving foam onto the top. You’ll want enough to stick up above the jar.

Then comes the fun part. Let your kids drip some food coloring directly onto the shaving cream and watch what happens!

Watch as the magic happens for 5 minutes. Have fun with your shaving cream rain clouds!

How Clouds Make Rain

Much like our experimental shaving cream floating on the water, clouds float in the atmosphere. Clouds are, essentially, made of vaporized water droplets that have collected together, with tiny particles of dust. The water condenses slightly around the dust, and those tiny droplets stick together.

Clouds are pretty much steam or fog banks, up in the sky where they belong. So no, unfortunately, you can’t walk, sit or lay down on a cloud, no matter how fluffy it looks.

Clouds attract more and more water, which condenses and collects inside the cloud. As it condenses, it sticks together and forms bigger droplets. Eventually, those droplets become too heavy to stay floating in the air, and they fall to the earth in rain, snow, sleet, hail, ice pellets, or other precipitation.

In our experiment, the food coloring is heavier than the shaving cream. So it seeps through the cream and “falls” into the water the shaving cream is floating on. The color looks like “rain” droplets and creates interesting patterns as more food coloring drips into the water.

This Fun Rain Cloud in Jar Science Experiment is a great way to introduce children to the wonders of science. Kids of all ages can enjoy creating their own mini-rain cloud and learning the basics of how clouds form.

• 1-quart sized jar
• Enough water to fill the jar
• Foam shaving cream
• Blue food coloring

Instructions

• Fill up the jar with water, but leave about an inch of space at the top
• Fill in the space you left with a layer of shaving cream. Don't add too thick a layer, or the food coloring won't make it through quickly.
• Drop several drops of food coloring onto the shaving cream.
• Sit back and watch the food coloring release into the water!
• Observe the water for about 5 minutes to see the changes taking place.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

With just a few simple materials and a little bit of water, kids can have hours of fun experimenting and creating rain clouds that appear almost magically at the touch of a button.

Not only is this experiment educational, but it’s also an engaging way for kids to learn about physical phenomena in a safe environment. It’s a perfect activity for curious minds who want to explore science!

If you’re looking for fun spring activities that elementary students will love, this  Spring Activities for Elementary Students  is the perfect list.

More Weather Activities

Rainy Day Activities for Kids

Weather Worksheets for Kids

Weather Coloring Pages

Extreme Weather Activities for Kids

Rain Activities for Preschoolers

Weather Sensory Activities

These sensory activities are perfect for little learners who are learning about the different types of weather.

Weather STEM Activities

Do you want a more fun and engaging approach? Try these weather STEM activities!

Cloud Activities for Kids

Weather Tracing Worksheets

Weather Activities for Preschoolers

Weather Crafts for Kids

Weather Games for Kids

Type of Clouds Activity with Cotton Balls

Weather Books for Kindergarteners

Water Cycle Bag Experiment

Weather Chart Printable

Water Cycle Worksheets for Kids

Simple Weather Science Experiments for Kids by STEAMsational

Weather Popsicle Stick Craft by Homeschool Preschool

I share educational printables and activities to help homeschoolers make learning science fun and engaging!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Laughing Kids Learn

Where learning is made fun

Rain cloud science experiment

May 25, 2015 by Kate 34 Comments

Here is a super simple science experiment that teaches children about clouds and  rain . It’s great fun to do at home or in the classroom and this rain cloud science experiment  only uses commonly found ingredients. 

I remember coming across a fun little science experiment while adding various pins to my Pinterest account . Super simple and using only a few commonly found ingredients , I knew we had to give it a go. It might just explain the concept of rain as a visual representation. 

Recommended age: 2 years +  (Active supervision is required on all ideas shared)

You will need – 

• Glass or jar
• shaving cream
• food colouring

Simply begin by asking your child to pour water into the glass, leaving about an inch from the rim. 

Carefully add a layer of shaving cream to the water. Be sure not to make it too thick or you’ll find you’re having to wait a long time for the magic to begin and that’s a bit boring. The shaving cream represents a cloud and the water is the atmosphere. 

Possum absolutely loved watching the streams of blue food colouring fall like droplets through the shaving cream and then swirl around the water. She was inspired to ask lots of great questions but also found it a lovely and calming experience. Hopefully you get a chance to have a go at this experiment with the little ones in your life. I really hope they enjoy it. 

How old are your children and would they enjoy this?  

Here are a few other ideas you might like – 

March 2, 2016 at 2:16 pm

You named your child possum…..

March 2, 2016 at 5:46 pm

Yes! Lovely name, isn’t it. 😀

March 5, 2016 at 12:22 am

August 24, 2016 at 2:15 am

This is so cool . I am 10 years old and loved doing this . I have done this for my home work and I am proud.thanks for the support.

August 24, 2016 at 9:24 pm

Oh Cheyenne, that’s so awesome. Congratulations and I’m glad you had fun doing this. 🙂

November 3, 2020 at 8:19 am

what are the ingredents for the rain cloud siencie ecperiment???

March 30, 2017 at 8:47 am

This is so cool I am going use this for my science fair project

March 30, 2017 at 2:10 pm

That’s so awesome and it would be perfect for a science project. 🙂

June 17, 2016 at 5:00 am

My son is 11 and he will enjoy this! I think as a tween boy he’ll enjoy black food colour. 🙂

June 17, 2016 at 10:46 am

Hi Lucinda! Oh I have no doubt your 11 year old would love this. It would be interesting to see it with black food colouring. 🙂

June 21, 2016 at 1:27 pm

ok, this is perfect! I know some of my kiddos in the clinic (paed OT) would love to do this – this week! (and my son too!) Thanks for the inspiration!

June 21, 2016 at 9:19 pm

Oh I can just imagine Anna! Thank you so kindly for your comment. 🙂

August 2, 2016 at 4:04 am

The little guys love anything with water. This is great.

August 2, 2016 at 8:37 am

Totally agree with you. Thanks Kev.

September 12, 2016 at 8:08 am

We are using it his for our science fair experiment and have lots of fun watching the food colouring react to the shaving cream.Thank you LAUGHING KIDS LEARN.

September 12, 2016 at 8:13 pm

That’s so fabulous! Thanks guys. 🙂

March 18, 2017 at 12:30 pm

Could you use whipped cream or ‘cool whip’ instead of shaving cream with the same results?

March 21, 2017 at 12:58 pm

I think you possibly could Shelley. It would be worth giving it a go. 🙂

September 7, 2021 at 11:11 am

it would probably stink and grow mold.

April 17, 2017 at 8:54 am

Can you use plastic clear cups for this activity?

April 17, 2017 at 6:14 pm

Absolutely Cindy! Have fun with this idea.

April 29, 2019 at 4:17 pm

Hi there im 12 and i have a class science projet and i have no idea what todo and my mum told me about this experiment so i think i will do it because its easy to talk about,cheap,and easy todo

May 1, 2019 at 11:26 am

Fantastic Mia. Glad I could help you out. Good luck with it all.

[…] learning through play using simple, budget friendly materials that you can find at home. OUR PICK: Rain Cloud Science Experiment 3.5/5 BEES    for thrifty learning tips, and proving there’s more to macaroni collage than […]

[…] the shaving cream and after just a few minutes, it drops through into the water looking like rain!  Rain Clouds Please click on the link to the left to see the site we learned this awesome experiment […]

[…] 4.  It’s Bath Time Rain Clouds […]

[…] And then the rain came again, so time for painting and science!  We did a simple experiment to look at clouds and how rain is formed.  You can find how to do it, here. […]

[…] STEM Rain experiment (from Laughing Kids Learn) […]

[…] Rain clouds – make some rain clouds with shaving cream and food colouring. […]

[…] Geographic Kids is a great intro to severe weather. Pair it with both this thunder storm art and rain cloud science experiment and you’ve just done reading, science, and art for the […]

[…] SHAVING CREAM CLOUDS – Create rain clouds using shaving cream. […]

[…] experiments are the magic milk experiment, the water walking experiment, and the shaving cream water cycle experiment. These experiments only require a few materials that you may already have at home but they are cool […]

[…] Rain Cloud Science Experiment by Laughing Kids Learn […]

Please Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Find Activities by Age

• 0 – 12 months
• 1 – 3 years
• 3 – 5 years
• 5 – 10 years

Find Activities by Celebration

• SHOP PRODUCTS

Privacy Policy

• Disclosure and Privacy Policy

Find posts by month

The Playful Parent

PLAY, LEARN, GROW

RAIN CLOUD IN A JAR EXPERIMENT: PLAYFUL SCIENCE

Just the other day my oldest son who’s almost six started asking a lot of questions about the weather. He especially was very interested in understanding why it rains. I thought it would be a lot easier and much more fun to show him than to just tell him. Making a rain cloud in a jar is a great hands-on activity for kids that gives a visual understanding to this basic earth science concept of how rain clouds form and why it rains.

LEARNING ABOUT THE RAIN CYCLE

• Clouds form when water vapor rises into the air. Once billions of these droplets come together, a visible cloud forms.
• Over time, the droplets and crystals begin to grow heavy, so heavy that gravity pulls the droplets down as raindrops.

We enjoyed reading books, watching videos and even coloring in worksheets to really help the concept sink in. Recommended books include A Wild Ride on the Water Cycle  by Anthony Yanez and Down Comes Rain by Franklin M. The  Magic School Bus Water Cycle episode  was informative and fun. We also enjoyed making the Water Cycle Circle by Kindergarten Mom.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• 1 Can of Shaving Cream
• Liquid Food Dye
• Clear Container (Plastic Cup or Glass Jar)

HOW IT WORKS

• Next, add shaving cream to the top of the water. I had my kids do this part too. (This will be the clouds . )

• The last part is the fun part! Sit back and watch the rain pour down. As your cloud fills up, the food coloring will fall down into the water creating a raining effect. My boys enjoyed this rain in a jar experiment so much that we repeated this activity a bunch of times using different colors: purple, orange, pink, etc.

Share this:

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Powered by WordPress.com .

Discover more from The Playful Parent

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• February 25, 2020

Just a heads up-This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy something through one of my links-you won't pay a penny more-but I'll make a small commission. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Purposeful play, rain cloud science experiment, science experiment for kids, the rain cloud science experiment is a simple and fun way for kids to explore weather concepts, has your child ever asked how or why rain falls from the sky, well this is the perfect hands-on way to teach your child all about how clouds create rain, the shaving cream rain cloud science experiment is perfect for preschoolers and school aged kids-heck even my husband and i loved it, this colorful weather experiment illustrates how rain falls from clouds once the rain inside the cloud becomes too heavy-falling to the ground due to gravity., before you begin, explain the experiment to your child and talk through the directions together., ask your child to make predictions before you begin. write their predictions down on a piece of paper. set the paper aside to use later in the experiment. , food coloring, shaving cream (foam not gel), explore weather concepts, experiment with cause and effect, introduce new vocabulary words, hands-on learning experience, learn about the water cycle, explore clouds and rain, shop this project here.

How to do the Rain Cloud Science Experiment

Step 1: prep for experiment, mix blue food coloring with a small amount of water, fill wide mouth jar or clear glass nearly to the top with water, step 2: create cloud, add shaving cream on top of the water to create a “fluffy cloud”, let the shaving cream settle for a couple of minutes, step 3: add food coloring, invite your child to add slowly add food coloring “rain” to the “cloud” using the pipettes, continue to add drops of “rain” into the cloud, step 4: watch and talk, observe what happens, after a couple of minutes you will see the “rain” coming out of the cloud into the water , ask your child what they see, verbalize what you see, invite your child to record their observations on the same piece of paper that their predictions were written on. , observations can be through pictures and/or words, explain to your child the science behind the experiment (explanation below), what is the science behind the rain cloud experiment, how the shaving cream rain cloud experiment works, a cloud is formed when rain droplets combine together, when the cloud gets too heavy and full- the rain droplets fall out of the cloud due to gravity., in the rain cloud experiment, the colored water acts as the rain., the shaving cream acts as the cloud., the clean water in the jar is the air., when the colored water (“rain”) gets too heavy it falls out of the shaving cream “cloud” and into the water (“air”)., how to explain why it rains to kids, how does rain fall from the sky, water is everywhere on earth, water evaporates into the atmosphere in the form of water vapor, water vapor rises and then cools causing condensation , condensation is tiny water droplets, the tiny water droplets gather together and form clouds, once the cloud is full of tiny water droplets and becomes too full or heavy- they fall out of the cloud and onto the earth (due to gravity), after the precipitation falls to the earth the whole water cycle begins again, rain cloud experiment vocabulary words, introduce these vocabulary words to your child while you’re conducting the experiment , even if your child is young and won’t necessarily retain the new words-exposing even young children to advanced vocabulary will have a powerful effect on their literacy base as they get older. , for older children, introduce the words, write the words down for them so they can see the spelling, and encourage your child to use the new words while you discuss the science experiment , precipitation (release of water from the sky in the form of rain, sleet, hail or snow), atmosphere (thin layer of gases surrounding our planet), evaporation (when liquid changes to gas or vapor), water vapor (water in the form of transparent vapor), condensation (when water vapor cools and turns into liquid form of water), water cycle (the process of water moving around from air to land), more science activities for kids.

Rainbow Cupcake Science Experiment

Rainbow Lava Lamp Science Experiment

Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin

Snowflake Baking Soda Experiment

Snowstorm in a Jar Science Experiment

Chocolate Reindeer Playdough

Christmas Magic Milk Science Experiment

Christmas Lava Lamp Science Experiment

Christmas Science Experiment

Apple Pie Cloud Dough

Apple Volcano Science Experiment

Vanilla Cupcake Cloud Dough

Kool-Aid Playdough

Summer Beach Moon Sand

Erupting Rainbow Volcano

Lemon Volcano Science Experiment

Rainbow Rain Science Experiment

Beach Moon Sand

Oil and Water Science Experiment

Climbing Rainbow Science Experiment

Hello there! I'm Sarah Britton and I am so excited you stopped by! Join me as we explore simple yet effective ways to create purposeful play opportunities for your child.

Summer Reading Challenge

Sign up to our email squad and get your hands on this summer reading challenge printable, this website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. learn more here..

Coffee Cups and Crayons

Simple play ideas, learning activities, kids crafts and party ideas, plus acts of kindness for kids!

January 5, 2015

Make a Rain Cloud in a Jar

Making a rain cloud in a jar is a great way to help kids visualize  how rain drops form.  It’s an easy science activity you probably already have the supplies for in your kitchen.

How to Make a Rain Cloud in a Jar

• shaving cream
• food coloring or liquid watercolor
• dropper or pipette for liquid watercolors

Start by putting a large dollop of shaving cream on top of a jar of water. Talk to the kids how about how the water droplets rise in the air and condense on dust particles. A huge group of them together is a cloud. Explain that in this demo the shaving cream is the cloud.

Add drops of liquid watercolor or food coloring. Once it gets saturated enough it will start to rain. Just like in a real cloud, once there is enough water droplets gravity pulls them back down to Earth as rain.

We ended up trying this one both liquid watercolors and food coloring. Each had a different thickness so had a little bit of a different effect. The food coloring ran through quicker and the liquid watercolors had more of a rain effect.

Both give kids the cloud cloud visual so use whatever you have on hand, but if you have both it’s fun to experiment to see the difference!

More Science Experiments to Try:

We love doing science experiments and I’m convinced if you don’t it’s just because you haven’t found the right ones yet! Here are some to try with your kids.

• Walking Water Science Experiment
• Make a Rubber Egg
• How to Make Silly Putty
• Exploding Baggie Science Experiment

Don’t let the fun and discovery stop there!

We have TONS of science experiments your kids will love on our  Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids  page! 

Take me to the experiments –>   Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids

About Megan Sheakoski

Megan is the creator of Coffee Cups and Crayons, a blog full of simple fun and learning. She believes that kids’ activities don’t have to be complicated to be fun and that learning is better with play.

February 1, 2015 at 6:05 pm

your ideas are clear and interesting. Thank you so much. i have been inspired!

August 28, 2015 at 6:22 pm

This looks like a fun activity to play around with the density of various materials. It isn’t an accurate model of how water condenses into clouds and falls as rain even though it looks like drops falling. How about using this activity as an exploration of what happens when different kinds of materials are layered or dropped on top of other layers?

March 18, 2017 at 8:49 pm

I had a student who tried this activity last year. It is great fun and a cool investigation of density but he thought it showed how rain drops actually form. Of course he also thought it should count as an experiment rather than the interesting model it is.

April 7, 2016 at 4:19 pm

This looks like an awesome activity! I think students and children would really benefit from the visualization of rain drops falling from clouds. This would easily be implemented into my classroom! Thanks for the great idea.

April 10, 2016 at 12:01 pm

April 9, 2018 at 12:30 pm

looking for a project on gravity for a 6th grader any suggestions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *