Weather Madness Activity I-VII

(Earning potential of $27 FunBucks with 7 available activities) 

         Earn FunBucks for each submitted activity.

  Submit a picture of your completed

       activity and

earn $7 FunBucks

Add a Challenge: Use different water temperatures and record the results. You can even combine the water temperatures.

I. How Clouds Form Experiment
Introduction: This lesson shows  how clouds form and why it rains. Water evaporating from the ground forms into clouds. When the clouds get full of water, they release the water to the ground and make rain. This version uses food coloring to visually illustrate the falling rain.
  • Clear glass or plastic cup

  • Food coloring 

  • White shaving cream


1. Fill the glass mostly full with clear water leave about 2 inches.

2. Next, fill the top of the glass with white shaving cream or a bunch of soap lather.

3. Drip drops of food coloring into the “cloud” one at a time. It might take some time, so be patient. After a while, the drops will seep through the shaving cream and it will look like it is raining in the cup.

  Submit a picture of your completed

       activity and

earn $5 FunBucks

Add a Challenge: Take it a little further by following steps 1-4. Select the "Extra Challenge" button to view the steps. 

II. Tornado in a Bottle Experiment
Introduction:  You’ll amaze everyone and explore some of the scientific properties of air and water when you empty a full bottle of water in just a few seconds!
  • Two plastic 1-liter bottles

  • Water

  • Duct tape and metal washer OR Twister Tube

  • Pitcher


  1. Start with two empty, plastic soda bottles. Smaller size bottles work well for smaller hands, but the Twister Tube works on most sizes of plastic soda bottles. Make sure the bottles are the same size.

  2. Fill one bottle 2/3 full with water, attach the twister tube. If you don’t have a Tornado tube, skip ahead to step #4 for instructions.

  3. Attach the second bottle to the other end of the Twister Tube. Make sure that the bottles are screwed on securely so that the water does not leak.

  4. If you do not have a Twister Tube, place a metal washer on top of the bottle with water. Turn the empty bottle upside down and align the openings of the two bottles.  Connect them by wrapping them tightly with duct tape.

  5. Quickly turn the bottle over and set it on a table or desk so it’s standing vertically. A few drops of water might fall into the lower bottle, but not much.  Start moving the Twister Tube in a circle, as if you were stirring something on the stove. At some point, a twister (called a vortex) will form and water will start spiraling into the lower bottle. It looks just like a tornado!

Submit a picture of your completed project, the graph and questions and

earn $4 FunBucks

Add a Challenge: Click on the "Extra Challenge" button 

to get further instructions.

III. Build a Wind Meter Project
Introduction: On a windy day it is hard to keep your hat on! The power of the wind can even be strong enough to power large wind turbines to make electricity! In this experiment, find out how you can make your own instrument to measure the speed and power of the wind. How does it work? In this experiment you will investigate how the speed of the wind is measured by an anemometer.  
  • 5 three ounce paper cups (Dixie Cups)

  • 2 soda straws

  • pin

  • paper punch

  • scissors

  • stapler

  • sharp pencil with an eraser

  • a fan with at least three different speeds (high, medium, and low)

  • ruler (optional)

Steps: Click on the button for further instructions.

IV. Weather Word Search
1. Click the "Word Search" button to print the word search or follow the steps below to complete activity without printing.


How to Write on the page without printing.

1. Download PDF document to a file on your computer. 

2. Go to PDF Escape and upload the Word Search.

3. Once in PDF Escape you can use the pencil to draw on page.

4. Once your have completed your Word Search, select the GREEN download icon on the left-hand side.

5. Submit the completed Word Search PDF to earn FunBucks. 

    Submit the completed Word Search and
earn $2 FunBucks.
V. Thunderstorm Art Project
You may paint, draw, use cut outs, or anything you want to create your thunderstorm. Be super creative. When you are finished, take a picture and submit it. We will post your picture in our Art Gallery.
  Submit the completed art project and  
Earn $3 FunBucks.

Submit a picture of your completed activity and

earn $6 FunBucks

If you would like to print this activity click on the button.

What occurs: When the air inside the plastic bottle is warmed, it expands and needs more space, therefore it stretches out the balloon.  When the bottle is transferred to the icy cold water, the air is cooled; it contracts and needs less space, so the balloon deflates.  The mass of air remains constant inside the bottle, so this shows that the warm air requires more space and is less dense than cool air.

VI. Hot and Cold Air Activity
Introduction: This activity will show us the effect that hot and cold air has on a balloon. Allow students to predict, ask questions, and discuss what you are doing to get them involved and excited.
  • Two containers, one filled with hot tap water and the other with ice and cold water. (Please do not use boiling hot water for this activity.  Hot water from the tap will effectively work for this activity).

  • 1 balloon

  • A 1.25 litre (or 2 litre) plastic soft drink bottle.  The larger the bottle the more room the air has to push up and expand. 

Steps: During the following steps of the activity, provide children with the opportunity to predict, ask questions and discuss ideas.

  1. Blow the balloon up to stretch it and help make it more flexible and let the air out.

  2. Place the balloon over the mouth of the empty plastic bottle.

  3. Stand the bottle in the center of the container filled with hot water. Wait a few minutes and notice the balloon start to inflate and expand.

  4. Remove the bottle from the hot water and place it in the container with cold water and ice. Wait a few moments and notice that the balloon starts to deflate and contract.

  5. Repeat step 3 and 4 again.

VII. Online Weather Watch Activity
Learn the facts about the weather, observe, record, and take a quiz. A fun way to learn about the weather. Click below to access this activity.