Make a rain gauge

What you need

• A clear plastic bottle
• Scissors
• A ruler and a marker pen
• Sticky tape

How to do it

1. 1

   Ask an adult to cut the top third off the bottle.

2. 2

   Turn the cut top upside down and push it in to make a funnel.

3. 3

   Mark centimetres up the side with the ruler and pen.

4. 4

   Stand it outside, weighted with a few stones, away from walls and trees.

5. 5

   Read it at the same time each day and write the number down. Compare your week with the forecast.

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  Measure the puddles on your street with a stick and a ruler, then predict which will vanish first.

• Rain in a jar

  Make warm water, cold air and a plate work together until it rains inside a jar.

• Pond dipping with a washing up bowl

  Scoop a little pond life into a shallow bowl, watch it closely, then put every creature back exactly where it came from.