Take an empty glass jar, and make sure it is completely dry. Place a 6cm plastic ruler inside so that it touches the bottom of the jar, and the calibrated side can be seen through the glass. Tape the ruler in place in a way the tape won't come off when it gets wet.
Now stand the jar outside, taking care to place it somewhere that it will catch the rain, but won't get blown over. The children can make a note of the date and time they placed the jar outside.
One week later, they can collect the jar and measure how much rain has fallen. They will need to take off the few extra millimetres at the bottom of the ruler, which they can do by subtracting them from the final measurement.
Place the rain gauge outside at different times of the year to see which month has the most rainfall (and the best time to buy a new umbrella!) Indoors, you can see the action go a bit faster, with a raindrop race. The children can choose two drops of rain that hit the window at the same time, and watch as they race down the glass.
The first drop to reach the bottom of the pane is the winner. You could even add a horse race-style commentary to liven up the game.
'And it's Big Drip taking the lead from Wet Wonder in the Raindrop Stakes - Big Drip easily two drops ahead, but here comes Wet Wonder! Wet Wonder takes the lead and wins by a length! The cloud is going wild!'
What a drippy game!
From More Quick Fixes for Bored Kids, published by HowTo Books (5.95). To order it and Tommy's other books Boredom Busters and Quick Fixes for Kids' Parties, and to see more fun activities, visit his website www.wobblebottom.com.
Tommy Donbavand is a children's entertainer and the author of the books Quick Fixes for Bored Kids, More Quick Fixes for Bored Kids, Boredom Busters, and Quick Fixes for Kids' Parties, all published by HowTo Books.
To order them and to see more fun activities, visit his website at www.wobblebottom.com.
