Hi-ya Sassy-Sci peeps! Ulysses and I are super excited to be back sharing a few weather activities straight from our lab to yours!!

So far this summer, we have spent our lazy days chilling by the springs wearing our brand new Sassy-Sci T-shirts, but there have been a few days where the weather has not cooperated. And we filled those days with science!

These three weather activities in a jar never fail to brighten up a rainy afternoon (or morning) with some serious science fun. And we thought that you all would enjoy them, too!

Let's dig in...

3 Weather Activities You Can Do In A Jar This Summer

All you need is a Mason jar with a lid, some water, ice, shaving cream, and a bit of food coloring. Oh, and a match - all things you probably have lying around your house somewhere.

So start the scavenger hunt and then come back and we'll get the science fun started!

#1 - Clouds in a jar

Did you know you can make clouds in a jar? Well, really, it's more like fog, but this is a cool one to try out!

You will need the following:

• Mason jar with lid
• Warm water
• Ice
• Match

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Fill the jar about halfway with very warm water.
2. Place the jar lid upside down on top of the jar and fill it with ice. Wait a few minutes.
3. (Adults only) Remove the lid and light a match. Hold the match over the opening for 3 seconds and then drop it into the jar and quickly replace the upside down lid.
4. Watch the air in the jar very closely - a "cloud" of fog will appear within a few minutes!

#2 - Tornado in a jar

Sound the alarm - you are about to have a tornado in your kitchen! But don't worry, you won't have to head for shelter, this one is safely contained in a jar.

You will need the following:

• Mason jar with lid
• Warm water
• Colored ice cubes (You can make this by adding a few drops of food coloring to water and then using that for making ice.)

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Fill the jar about two-thirds of the way with warm water.
2. Add a colored ice cube and quickly screw on the lid.
3. Swirl the jar around a few times and then set it on the counter and watch what happens.  In a few moments, the spinning ice cube will form a vortex inside your jar!

#3 - Rain in a jar

Have you ever seen a food coloring rainstorm? No? Well, you are about to create one!

You will need the following:

• Mason jar
• Shaving cream
• Blue food coloring
• Warm water

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Fill the jar halfway with warm water.
2. Squirt a shaving cream cloud on top of the water. (Note – You can pack the shaving cream in a bit before adding an indention in the center so that the food coloring won’t run over the “cloud”.)
3. Slowly add 20 to 30 drops of blue food coloring in the center of the shaving cream cloud.
4. Watch and wait for the food coloring “rain” to fall out of the bottom of the shaving cream “cloud”.

Wrapping It Up

Well, there you have it - 3 weather activities in a jar for those steamy, stormy days! If you are looking for some more summer science fun, check out these posts from a few years back:

• How to grow a butterfly {A Zoology Project}
• The Edible Cell Calzone {An Anatomy Project}
• How to grow herbs from cuttings {A Botany Project}

Hope you have a fantastic summer!