Rainfall Measurement
Measuring rainfall will help your children understand why rain is important while mastering several scientific skills, including data collection, graphing and recording and observation. This fun science activity for kids will allow your child to enjoy playing in the rain while learning about the world around them.
Activity Instructions
Cut the top three inches off of a bottle. On the side of the bottle, make tick marks with a magic marker for every inch, creating a ruler.
Turn the top of the bottle upside down and place it into the bottle, making a funnel through which water can pour.
When a lightning-free rain shower begins, suit your child up in their rain gear and have them place the bottle in the yard. Every thirty minutes, have your kids measure the amount of rainfall that has collected.
Using the rain graph and data collection worksheet, help them record the data while teaching your kids about the importance of rain.
Discuss some facts about rain including:
- Rain is essential for the growth of plants, including many of the foods your family eats.
- Rain is collected from lakes, rivers, ponds, and oceans. To keep rain clean, people should keep these bodies of water free from pollutants.
- Review with water cycle animation on the EPA's website.
- Many people collect rainwater and use it around the house instead of just using tap water. After the rainstorm is over, help your kids tally their data. Compare their results to those reported by your local weather station.
Materials
- Rain gear
- Bottle Scissors
- Magic marker
- Rain graph
Outcome
This easy science activity for kids teaches your little ones to investigate the world around them. While honing their scientific skills, they will improve their understanding of weather.