Fun Science Experiments for Kids: Weather and Seasons

Weather and seasons science projects are perfect for engaging kids while explaining natural phenomena like weather changes and seasonal cycles. Active participation in these activities helps children retain information and sparks a curiosity for further learning.

Whether you're planning a lesson for the classroom or seeking some rainy day activities, these science projects for kids will expand their understanding of weather and the changing seasons.

In the following pages, you'll find creative ideas for science projects focused on weather and seasons for kids.

Frost on a Can

Help children explore the concepts of condensation and temperature with this simple science experiment. Discover how to create frost on a can.

Ocean in a Bottle: Ride the Waves

Although oil and water don't mix, this combination can teach kids about the movement of ocean waves. Learn how to set up this fun science project for kids.

Measure the Wind

Discover how to create a device with your kids that can measure wind speed. Explore the Clock the Wind science project for kids.

Foggy Ideas

Show kids how to create fog in a bottle with this intriguing science experiment. Get step-by-step instructions for making Foggy Ideas.

Wind Power

How strong is the wind? This science project for kids demonstrates the amount of matter wind can carry. Learn how to set up this exciting experiment.

Pressure Galore!

Learn how to create your very own barometer with your kids and measure air pressure using your homemade device. Discover how to make this fun science project.

Air Quality Testing

This science project introduces kids to two different methods for measuring air pollutants. Find out what materials you'll need to get started on this educational experiment.

Weather Monitoring Station

Gather all the necessary tools with your kids to track weather changes and eventually forecast future conditions. Learn how to create this hands-on science project.

Weather Legends

Separate the facts from the myths in weather-related folktales with this science project for kids. Explore the truth behind stories about weather and seasons.

Cool or Warm?

Help kids understand how the colors they wear can impact their comfort. The Stay Cool, Stay Warm project is a fascinating science activity that teaches an important lesson.

Various Weather Patterns

Teach kids about the diverse weather and seasons found around the world. Follow the steps for All Kinds of Weather, a research-based science project for children.

Sunrise to Sunset

This science project helps kids track the Earth's movement throughout the changing seasons. Learn how to carry out this educational project.

Rain, Rain -- Please Go

We’ve all heard of acid rain, but this science experiment shows its impact in a striking and educational way. Explore the Rain, Rain -- Go Away project.

Clear Blue Skies

Why is the sky blue? This hands-on science project for kids offers a simple explanation of the atmospheric processes that color our sky.

Show your kids how to create Can Frost, an engaging science project that teaches them about condensation. Find detailed instructions on the next page.

Looking for more science activities to do with your kids? Check out these ideas:

Frost on a Can

Frost on a Can is a simple science experiment that helps kids understand condensation. Frost forms as a result of a temperature change.

Items You Will Need:

Discover how Can Frost works

Step 1: Fill a small metal can about one-quarter full with water.

Step 2: Add 4 tablespoons of salt to the water and stir until dissolved.

Step 3: Pour enough crushed ice into the can to fill it, then stir the mixture thoroughly.

Step 4: Watch what happens to the outside of the can.

Show kids how to create a mini marine ecosystem in a bottle with the science project called Bottled Sea: Catch a Wave. Find out more on the next page of science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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Bottled Sea: Create Waves

Bottled Sea: Create Waves is a fun science project that shows kids how to generate waves. Since oil and water don't mix, watch as the waves form in this exciting hands-on activity.

What You Will Need:

Explore the Bottled Sea: Create WavesStep 1: Fill a plastic soda bottle approximately two-thirds full with water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to the water and swirl it around.

Step 2: Top off the bottle with clear mineral oil, ensuring no air space is left when the bottle is sealed.

Step 3: Lay the bottle horizontally, and observe the oil floating on top of the blue water below. Gently tilt the bottle from side to side and watch the waves move.

Step 4: Experiment by tilting one side of the bottle up before the wave reaches it, and watch how the wave crashes onto the shore and reverses direction.

Clock the Wind is a fascinating science project that shows kids how to create a tool for measuring wind speed. Get all the details on the following page of science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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Clock the Wind

Clock the Wind is a hands-on science project that helps kids create their very own wind-speed meter. How fast is the wind today? Build a gauge to measure it yourself.

Here's what you'll need for this project:

How to Build the Clock the Wind Device

Step 1: Get an adult's assistance for this project. Start by cutting two small, hollow balls in half. Attach each half to the ends of two sticks with the cut side facing outward, using nails. Paint one of the ball halves a different color than the others for distinction.

Step 2: Now, nail the two sticks together at right angles so they form an 'X' shape. Ensure that the sticks meet at their centers to balance properly on the nail. Use a long nail so that it pierces through both sticks.

Step 3: Next, create the base. Ask an adult to drill a hole at the end of a one-foot piece of wooden 2 x 4. Ensure the hole is slightly larger than the nail that will hold the two sticks in place.

Step 4: Secure the 2 x 4 to a wooden base and insert the nail into the drilled hole. (Apply a small amount of wax or oil to the hole to allow the gauge to rotate smoothly.)

Step 5: Place your wind-speed gauge in the wind. Count how many times it rotates in 30 seconds. (Use the painted half ball as your reference for counting.) Note this number and divide it by five. The result is the wind speed in miles per hour.

Teach children how to create fog inside a bottle with the Foggy Notions science project for kids. Find the instructions on the following page for more science projects about weather and seasons.

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Foggy Notions

Foggy Notions is a project that explains the science behind fog. Ever wondered what fog truly is? This experiment will clear up the mystery.

What You’ll Need:

Discover the science behind Foggy Notions:

Step 1: You’ve likely come across fog before. When fog appears, it’s so thick that it’s often all you can see. Fog is essentially a cloud that forms right near the ground.

Step 2: Fog forms in nature when a cold air mass collides with warm, humid air, causing tiny droplets of water to form. That’s what fog is.

Step 3: Want to create fog yourself? Here’s a simple way: Fill a bottle one-third full with very hot water, add a few drops of rubbing alcohol, then place an ice cube on top of the bottle and watch as fog starts to form.

Blowing in the Wind is a fun science experiment for kids that shows how air currents can carry different objects. Learn more about this exciting project on the next page in science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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Blowing in the Wind

Blowing in the Wind is a science project that helps kids understand how wind can carry objects, similar to a bus or train picking up passengers and transporting them to a different place.

What You’ll Need:

Learn About Blowing in the Wind:

Step 1: Take a piece of cardboard that’s at least the size of a notebook page or larger. Punch a small hole at one end of the cardboard, then tie a piece of string through the hole. Apply vegetable oil or petroleum jelly to one side of the cardboard.

Step 2: On a windy day, hang the cardboard from a tree using the string. Ensure the oiled side is facing the wind. Leave it in place for an hour or longer. When you return, check what the wind has carried onto the cardboard, such as seeds, insects, pollen, dust, or other small natural elements.

Step 3: Some plants, like the dandelion, rely on the wind to spread their seeds far and wide. In fact, their seeds can travel several miles or even farther! Tiny spiders can also use the wind, hanging from their webs to float from place to place. Can you think of other ways the wind can be put to use?

So Much Pressure! is a science project that shows kids how to create their own barometer. Find the instructions for this project on the next page of science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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So Much Pressure!

So Much Pressure! is a hands-on science experiment that guides kids in constructing their own barometer. Together, you and your kids can create a water-based barometer to observe the changes in air pressure.

What You'll Need:

Learn About So Much Pressure!

Step 1: Start by inserting a ruler into a lump of modeling clay. Place the clay and ruler at the bottom of a bowl, ensuring the ruler stands upright. Pour approximately three inches of water into the bowl.

Step 2: Take a clear, narrow plastic bottle and fill it about three-quarters of the way with water. Cover the opening of the bottle with your hand, flip it upside down, and carefully place it into the bowl next to the ruler. Once the bottle is submerged, you can remove your hand. While the bottle remains upside down, tie the ruler to the bottle with a piece of string.

Step 3: Cut a strip of paper approximately four inches long. Mark every quarter inch along the strip to create a scale. At the halfway point, draw a longer line to indicate the middle. Attach this paper strip to the bottle, aligning the midpoint with the water level inside the bottle.

Step 4: Now you’ve made your water barometer. As air pressure changes, the water inside the bottle will move up or down. When the air pressure increases, it will push down on the water in the bowl, causing more water to rise into the bottle. This indicates higher air pressure. Conversely, if the air pressure drops, the water in the bottle will lower, while the water in the bowl rises, showing a decrease in air pressure.

Testing the Air is a fun science experiment that teaches kids how to measure environmental pollutants. Get instructions for this project on the next page of science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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Testing the Air

Testing the Air is a science experiment that shows kids how to evaluate the quality of the air around them. How clean is the air you’re breathing at home?

What You Will Need:

Learn How to Test the Air Quality:

Step 1: With just a couple of simple experiments, you can test the air for common pollutants. In the first test, you’ll measure how much dust, dirt, soot, and other particles are floating in the air.

Step 2: For this, cut two stiff cardboard pieces into squares about four inches across. Punch a hole in one corner of one piece and thread a string through it for hanging. Coat both sides of the cardboard with petroleum jelly, then hang it up under the roof eaves of your house.

Step 3: Coat one side of the second piece and lay it flat in the shade, also beneath the eaves of your house. Leave both pieces out for a full day.

Step 4: After a day, use a magnifying glass to examine both squares of cardboard. See if you can count how many tiny particles are stuck to them. Which one has more particles: the piece that was lying flat, or the one that was hanging?

Step 5: To test for invisible gases in the air, stretch three or four rubber bands over a piece of cardboard. Place the cardboard in a shaded area. Check the rubber bands daily. The quicker they become brittle, the more pollutants are likely present in the air.

Step 6: Try performing both tests in two very different locations to compare the levels of pollutants. You could do one test in a busy city, and the other in a more natural environment, like a forest or countryside.

Discover how to create a Weather Station with your kids to measure and predict the weather. Learn how to build this science project on the next page of science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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Weather Station

Assemble a fully operational Weather Station with your kids, then teach them how to use the tools. Use your observations to monitor the weather and attempt to forecast upcoming changes.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

How to Create Your Own Weather Station:

Step 1: In a well-ventilated space, apply a coat of white outdoor spray paint to both the stake and the pegboard. Remember to wear safety goggles and have an adult supervise the process.

Step 2: Secure the pegboard onto the stake, making sure that the top of the board is positioned one foot beneath the top of the stake. Use wire to attach the thermometer and rain gauge to the pegboard.

Step 3: Attach a weather vane or wind sock to the top of the stake. Ensure that the direction indicator on the wind vane is aligned with the north side and is placed on the same side as the thermometer.

Step 4: Choose an open spot with no trees or large buildings blocking the view. With an adult's help, dig a hole roughly 18 inches deep. Place the stake into the hole with the thermometer side facing north. Once in place, refill the hole and press the soil down firmly.

Step 5: Maintain a weather journal. Record the temperature, wind direction (and speed if you created a wind sock), and the amount of rainfall each day.

Step 6: If you own a hygrometer and a barometer, include readings of humidity and air pressure in your journal. Compare your findings with those reported in the newspaper and test if you can predict upcoming weather patterns.

Weather Folktales provide a wonderful opportunity for children to blend science with creativity. Explore the Weather Folktales science project on the next page of science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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Weather Folktales

Weather Folktales is a fun science project for kids that mixes science with creativity. Challenge you and your kids to figure out which old beliefs are based on truth and which ones are purely imaginative!

What You Will Need:

Learn About Weather Folktales: Step 1: Long before weather apps, satellite imagery, or advanced tools, our ancestors had to rely on nature's signs to predict the weather. While some ancient weather predictions were surprisingly accurate, others were based on superstition.

Step 2: Take a look at these weather proverbs. Which ones do you think might hold truth in forecasting the weather?

Step 3: Observe these signs for yourself, and jot down your findings in your notebook. Which ones seem to be more trustworthy: the ones linked to animals or those related to the sky and clouds?

Stay Cool, Stay Warm is an exciting science project that helps children understand the relationship between color and temperature. Discover this hands-on learning activity on the following page of science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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Stay Cool, Stay Warm

Stay Cool, Stay Warm is an engaging science experiment designed to help kids understand the role temperature plays in our environment. Through this project, both you and your children will discover how the clothes you wear can influence your personal surroundings.

What You Will Need:

Learn More About Stay Cool, Stay Warm:

Step 1: The color of your clothing can affect your body temperature, no matter if the weather is hot or cold. Ready to put this theory to the test?

Step 2: Take two identical drinking glasses. Wrap one in black paper and secure it with tape. Do the same with the second glass, but use white paper for this one.

Step 3: Fill both glasses with lukewarm water and place them on a porch or picnic table. Let them sit in direct sunlight for about an hour without being disturbed.

Step 4: Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water in both glasses. Afterward, figure out which color of clothing will keep you warmer or cooler. You’ll likely find the answer is pretty clear.

All Kinds of Weather is an investigative science project that introduces children to weather patterns found around the world. Check out the detailed instructions on the following page in science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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All Kinds of Weather

All Kinds of Weather is a fun science project that helps kids discover weather patterns from around the world. The answers to your children's weather curiosities are just a visit to your library away.

What You Will Need:

Discover All Kinds of Weather: Step 1: Think of some interesting weather-related questions you'd like to explore. For instance, have you ever wondered about the coldest, hottest, rainiest, or snowiest locations on Earth?

Step 2: Ever wondered what causes tornadoes, thunder, or lightning? Look into some weather books to uncover the answers. Gather your own exciting weather facts, jot them down, and share them with others.

Sunrise, Sunset is an educational science activity that helps kids understand how the Earth moves in relation to the sun. Learn how to track these movements on the next page.

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Sunrise, Sunset

Sunrise, Sunset is an exciting science experiment that helps children understand how daylight shifts throughout the year. To participate, you and your kids will need to get up early and observe the times and locations of sunrise and sunset.

What You'll Need:

Learn About Sunrise, Sunset:

Step 1: Rise early on a clear morning and observe the sun as it rises. The best views can be found in open spaces such as a beach, lakeside, or a wide, flat field. Pay attention to where the sun emerges in relation to stationary landmarks like hills or trees on the horizon.

Step 2: Make note of your observations. For example, you might jot down: "The sun rose just to the right of the large hill." Draw a diagram that represents the eastern and western horizons, and mark the spot where you saw the sun rise.

Step 3: On the same day (or as soon as possible), return to the same spot and observe the sunset. Once again, note where the sun sets in relation to any hills or trees on the horizon. Mark this location on your diagram.

Step 4: About three months later, repeat the observation. Observe the locations where the sun rises and sets in relation to the same hills or trees. (Look at your previous notes for reference.) Mark these new spots on your diagram.

Has the sun shifted position? While it may seem like the sun moves, it is actually the Earth that moves. As Earth orbits around the sun, its tilt changes, causing the sun to appear in different locations along the horizon. Remember, don't ever look directly at the sun.

We've all heard of acid rain, but the next kid-friendly science experiment vividly shows its impact. Head over to the next page of science projects for kids to explore Rain, Rain -- Go Away and see it in action.

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Rain, Rain -- Go Away

Rain, Rain -- Go Away is an educational science experiment that helps children understand how acid rain forms. When certain chemicals mix with water in the air, they can create "acid rain."

Here’s what you'll need:

Learn about Rain, Rain -- Go Away:

Step 1: Fill one jar with 1/4 cup of water. Ask an adult to cut two small squares of sod from your lawn or purchase some from a nursery. Place one square of sod into the jar, ensuring the soil is submerged in the water.

Step 2: Next, pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into the second jar. Insert the second square of sod into the jar, with the soil submerged in the vinegar.

Step 3: Place both jars in a warm, sunny spot, and observe what happens over the next few days.

Step 4: Vinegar acts as an acid, similar to the acid in acid rain. Acid rain is a global issue, often caused by smoke from factories, burning coal, and even car emissions. Besides damaging plants, acid rain pollutes water sources, harms fish, and erodes rocks and buildings!

Ever wondered why the sky is blue? The kids' science project, Blue Skies, uses visual aids to explain this natural wonder. Learn more about it on the next page of science projects for kids: weather and seasons.

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Blue Skies

The 'Blue Skies' project is a fun science activity for kids that demonstrates how light bends as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere, coloring our sky. Teach your children about how light waves create the beautiful hues we see around us.

Here’s what you will need:

Discover the Science Behind Blue Skies:

Step 1: Have you ever wondered why the sky appears blue? When sunlight passes through the atmosphere, it is broken up into all the colors of the rainbow and varying wavelengths. This scattering effect is what gives the sky its blue hue.

Step 2: This simple experiment will help you understand how light scattering works and show how weather changes can create different colors in the sky.

Step 3: At night, turn on a flashlight outside. Place it on a table so that its light beam shines in midair. Then, sprinkle flour in front of the beam and observe what happens.

Step 4: You will notice several white flashes as each grain of flour or dust bounces the light, sending color signals straight to your eyes. This is how our atmosphere scatters light, creating the blue sky that we see.

Looking for more fun science experiments you can do with your children? Give these a try:

MEET THE MINDS BEHIND THE PROJECT

Testing the Air by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls

Keep Cool, Keep Warm by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls

Clear Blue Skies by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls