Looking Up at Cloud Science

Amy Wung Tsao
Nov 3
3 min read

Quick links if you're too busy to scroll:

Cloud and Rain Science Videos:

What are Clouds Made Of? from PBS’s Sid the Science Kid
Where Does Fog Come From? from SciShow Kids
Liquid Nitrogen Clouds from Science! Kids

Photo of two cloud picture books: When Cloud Became a Cloud, and Little Cloud: The Science of a Hurricane.

Cloud and Rain Science Books:

When Cloud Became a Cloud by Rob Hodgson
Little Cloud: The Science of a Hurricane by Johanna Wagstaffe, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin

Collage of 2 photos: (1) Plastic zipped baggie with some water inside, and a sun and cloud drawn on it, taped to the wall. (2) Clear glass jar with water on the bottom, white cloud above the water and coming out the top of the bottle. Photo is titled “Cloud in a jar” and has a label “Playdough to Plato”.

Cloud and Rain Science Experiments and Activities:

Make a Miniature Water Cycle Model from ScienceBuddies
Make a Cloud in a Jar from Playdough to Plato

Keep reading to learn more about how to use these cloud science videos, books, and activities to maximize the science and fun!

Weather Science for a Cloudy Day

“If you learned how to make a cloud, your time is not wasted.” ~ artist Bob Ross

Photo of a single puffy cloud floating against a hazy sunset in the background. — *Photo by* *Wolf Zimmermann* on *Unsplash*

Sometimes you find science just by looking up.

If your kids wonder what it would be like to sleep on a cloud, then keep reading for some really fun science videos and books all about cloud science. Plus keep reading for some pretty cool cloud science experiments to try at home or school.

(Just a reminder - I am never paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)

Cloud and Rain Science Videos

What are Clouds Made Of? from PBS’s Sid the Science Kid

Sid learns that clouds are made of water! This 3 minute video is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners. (Teachers, use this video to support K-PS3-1.)

Where Does Fog Come From? from SciShow Kids

Fog is just a cloud that’s low to the ground! That makes fog a great way for kids to understand that even though clouds look like fluffy cotton from a distance, they’re actually quite wet! Plus, learn why fog usually comes after a rainstorm.

Liquid Nitrogen Clouds from Science! Kids

This is a quick 1 minute demonstration with a big wow factor! Watch these kids make a big puffy white cloud indoors by cooling down water quickly (using super cold liquid nitrogen).

Cloud and Rain Science Books

Cover illustration of a smiling puffy white cloud in a light blue sky.

When Cloud Became a Cloud by Rob Hodgson

Follow Cloud as she travels around the world, snowing over cold places, becoming fog, becoming a rain cloud, and making lightning! This simple book is perfect for preschool & kindergarten kids to visualize evaporation, condensation, and precipitation causing all different kinds of weather. (Teachers, use this book to support K-PS3-1 and 2-ESS2-3.)

Cover illustration of a smiling puffy white cloud in a blue sky over water with boats. Yellow land on the left of the water has a palm tree and elephant. Green land on the right of the water has a cow, a mountain, and a black cloud with lightning coming out of it.

Little Cloud: The Science of a Hurricane by Johanna Wagstaffe, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin

“Let me tell you a story about a little cloud that wanted to become a hurricane.”

This book really works for multiple age levels. For the younger kids, there’s a simple story about a cloud that gets bigger and stronger, turning into a full hurricane before weakening back into a little cloud, ready for another adventure. (Happily the storm weakens before it gets to any humans.) For the older kids, there’s plenty more detail to dive into with the information sidebars scattered throughout the book. (Teachers, use this book to support K-PS3-1, K-ESS3-2, and 2-ESS2-3.)

Cloud and Rain Science Activities

Make a Miniature Water Cycle Model from ScienceBuddies

Learning that clouds are made from evaporated water is one thing, but what if you could see it all happening inside a plastic baggie? Follow these instructions, and you can! (For teachers, this activity supports NGSS standards K-PS3-1 and 2-PS1-4.)

Photo of a young boy holding up a jar lid excitedly, as white whisps come out the top of a glass jar filled with cloudy white air.

Make a Cloud in a Jar from Playdough to Plato

This activity needs grown-up support, but it’s definitely a memorable one! In the sky, water vapor condenses onto dust particles to become clouds. For this demonstration, you can use matches or hairspray to act as that dust, and hot water to provide the water vapor.

I hope you found a new reason to appreciate cloudy days!

If your kids can’t get enough of weather science, check out these posts about the water cycle and the Sun! Or if they want to know more about lightning, check out this post about electricity.