How much rain?
Make our rain gauge and find out!
Engaging kids in science can be both fun and educational, especially with hands-on activities like making a rain gauge. Using a simple plastic bottle, you can create a functional rain gauge that helps kids learn about weather, measurement, and the water cycle.
Here's how to make a rain gauge with your kids.
What You Will Need:
- 2-Liter Plastic Bottle, Clear
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Permanent Marker
- Marbles or Rocks
- Tape, such as electrical tape
- Water
What You Do:
- Cut a plastic bottle right below where the bottle top begins to taper - this creates a funnel piece (see diagram below).
This is a task that needs an adult or adult supervision. - Use a ruler and a permanent marker to make a scale on the side of the bottle. We recommend making marks every half inch, up to 6 inches.
- To add stability to your rain gauge, place a handful of marbles or rocks into the bottom of the bottom to act as weights.
- Insert the top of the bottle, the funnel part, upside down into the mouth of the rain gauge (see diagram below). If desired, tape the funnel piece onto the bottle piece with tape.
- If it looks like rain is possible, place your rain gauge outside in an open area to measure the daily rainfall.
Variation:
- Instead of putting marbles in the bottom of your rain gauge, you could pound a wooden stake into the ground at the location where you want your rain gauge. Set the rain gauge beside the stake and use rubber bands or zip ties to secure the bottle to the stake. This will help keep the rain gauge upright, even in the wind.
- A large plastic test tube works well as a rain gauge. We recommend you attach the test tube to a wooden stake (as mentioned above) to keep it in place during a storm. Challenge your kids to determine how they can calibrate a test tube that can serve as a rain gauge.
One Step Further:
- When it rains, it pours... or does it? With your rain gauge set up and ready for action, watch the clock during the next rainy day and make a note of how much rain your gauge collects every hour or two. Do this same thing during the next rainy day, and the next. Compare the figures you've collected to determine the average rainfall during a storm - is it just a trickle, or does it really pour?
The Science:
Meteorologists use a rain gauge to measure the amount of rain. The rain gauge is sometimes set into the ground, where the rain falls into a funnel that flows into the container. Having this type of rain gauge helps prevent the water from evaporating. A scale on the side of the container shows the level of water that has fallen over the area.
