Ages 4-7 · child and adult
Rain gauge: how much rain fell?
Put a straight-sided container outside and record the water level. Start your own weather journal.
Set your own pace. Preparation depends on your materials.
What to gather
- Clear plastic container with a flat base and vertical sides
- Ruler, tape and adult permanent marker
- Journal and pencil
Keeping it safe An adult places and empties the container. Do not drink the water. Stay indoors during thunderstorms and wait to take a reading.
Choose a challenge level
Ages 4-5
The child draws dry, a little water or lots of water. The adult reads the scale.Ages 6-7
Read at the same time each day. Compare several days and include zero-rain days.Step-by-step instructions
Mark zero at the inside base and use a ruler to add millimetre marks. Do not use a tapered cup.
Place the empty container level in a safe open spot away from roofs and trees. Secure it from outside; put nothing inside.
After rain, read the level at eye height. Record the date and millimetres, empty the container and return it to the same spot.
TATAAA
Now turn it into a game
Weather station: draw the sky and record the water level each day. Find the days with the most and least rainfall.
When it gets tricky
Unexpectedly much water? Check for roof runoff or watering. A tapered container does not directly show millimetres of rainfall.
When an experiment goes wrongWhen you are done
You record a water level or zero rain and empty the container.
If your child does not want to continue, it is fine to stop. You can safely swap roles or adapt the rules.
What to notice
With equal opening and base areas, collected water depth represents rainfall depth. Wind and evaporation can affect this home measurement.
Background reading
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Trace the shadow of an upright pencil and return later. Observe changes in the sky through marks on paper.
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