Explore the magic of clouds by making your very own clouds in a jar!
Let’s Make a Cloud in a Jar!
K-12 Resource: Activity
Explore the magic of clouds, and make your very own cloud in a jar
Project Details
- Grade Level K-5
- Subject Science, Art
- Activity Type Experimentation, Observation, Discussion
About
Learning Objectives
Materials Needed
- Hairspray
- Hot water
- Ice cubes
- Mason jar
- Spoon
- Blue food coloring
Assignment
Hey there, curious minds! Just like Simon Denis painted clouds, we’re going to create our own cloudy masterpiece using safe and fun materials. Let’s get started on this exciting adventure!
Watch the video above to see the steps of this activity.
Prepare the Bottle
Make sure your mason jar is clean and dry. If it’s not, ask a grown-up to help you wash and dry it thoroughly.
Create Your Clouds
Now, let’s make our clouds! Pour warm water into the mason jar until it’s about one-third full. Put a drop of food coloring into the water and mix with a spoon. Then spray hairspray into the jar.
Watch and Wait
After adding the hairspray, quickly screw the lid onto the jar. Now, watch closely as the magic unfolds inside! You should see clouds forming in the jar.
What type of clouds do these remind you of?
Add Ice Cubes
Place a few ice cubes on top of the bottle’s lid. This helps create the perfect conditions for our clouds to form even better!
Observe and Describe
Take a moment to observe what’s happening inside your bottle. Can you see the clouds forming? What do they look like? Share your observations with your friends or family.
You can also sketch/draw what you see in the bottle and write about what happened. How did the ice cubes change the cloud formations? Why?
Extensions
Make a video: Record the “cloud” with the slo-mo function on a digital camera.
Modifications
Use a plastic bottle if a jar is not available. Simply cut the top off, and flip it over to hold the ice cubes.
Work in groups to help with safety or if you have limited materials. Encourage students to bring in bottles a week or two prior to getting ready for the activity.
If warm water is not available, students can leave their bottle of water outside on a sunny day to warm it up. Or make other plans to have warm water available.