Crafting with kids: Making a rain gauge

I love craft activities that can be used as learning opportunities for children. One of the things that Sophie and I have done recently is to make a rain gauge to measure how much rain falls on rainy days. This is such a simple craft activity to do and a brilliant way of learning more about weather. We ended up talking about the water cycle and how clouds form while we were making our rain gauge. Here’s how you can make your own:

 

 

You will need:

• A plastic bottle
• Craft knife
• Pebbles
• Water
• Ruler
• Permanent marker

 

1) Cut the top half off the plastic bottle using a craft knife.

 

2) Add a layer of pebbles to the bottom half of the plastic bottle. This will help keep it weighed down.

 

 

3) Add some water to fill the bottle just above the pebble line.

 

4) Use a marker pen and ruler to mark measuring lines at 1cm intervals on the side of the bottle, starting at the water line. You can also use different coloured marker pens to decorate your bottle if you wish.

 

 

5) Invert the top half of the bottle and place it inside the bottom half.

 

 

6) Place the bottle outside and wait for it to rain!

 

 

Sophie enjoyed keeping a journal over a few days and checking the rain gauge regularly to see how much it rained each day. It helped make rainy days a little more fun too!