Weather Forecasting with a DIY Barometer

We picked the perfect day to do this craft. Before the day was even over, it had turned from sunny to cloudy to raining (and later the tornado sirens went off).

The science behind this craft is fascinating.

To start, I explained atmospheric pressure. That's a pretty tough thing to visualize, but we had a little help from Bill Nye, the Science Guy. (Check out some of his video clips on YouTube.)

Once we understood what pressure was and that it changes with the weather, it was easier to understand how a barometer works.

Supplies

Wide-mouth glass jar without a lid

Deflated balloon

Rubberbands

Plastic drinking straw

Tape

Cardstock or posterboard

Pencil

Scissors

How to Make a DIY Barometer

Cut the neck of your deflated balloon off, making a straight cut about halfway down the balloon.

Stretch the balloon as tightly as possible over your glass jar, so the latex is taught. You want to make an air-tight seal, so add a rubberband or two to secure it.

Now trim a plastic drinking straw so it's about 6 or 7 inches in length. Then make angled cuts on both ends so each end has a point.

Using the corner of a small square of clear tape, attach the flat part of one end of the straw to the balloon in the center of the jar.

The other end of the straw is your pointer.

Now fold a piece of heavyweight paper in fourths lengthwise. Tape so it's in the shape of a triangle and stand on one end.

Take your barometer outside and let it acclimate. Set your triangular paper up at the end of the pointer, and with a pencil record where it touches and the weather conditions.

This is your baseline. Continue checking on the barometer and making recordings of the weather conditions. As the weather changes, the straw pointer will move up and down.

Once you have marks recorded for a variety of weather conditions, you'll see a trend. When the weather is sunny, it points upwards. When it's storming, it points downward. You can watch the DIY barometer and begin to make predictions based on the gauge you made.

How it Works

If the air pressure inside the jar is heavier than the air outside the jar, it will push up making the balloon convex (humped up), which will tip the straw pointer downward. This occurs when the weather is rainy or storming.

If the air pressure outside the jar is heavier, it will press down on the balloon (making it concave), tipping the straw pointer upwards. Expect this to occur when it's sunny.

After School Linky (6-16)

Welcome to the After School Linky Party!

Ward off summer slump and boredom with a steady flow of activities. There are loads of ideas here to help with your summer schedule!

Here are some of my favorites from last week's party.

Ways to Make a Rainbow at Life with Moore Babies.

25 Books for Your Backpack: Nature & Field Guides for Kids at KC Edventures.

Geoboard Constellations at School Time Snippets.

Ocean Animals Book & 3-Part Cards at Gift of Curiosity.

PVC Pipes+Connectors+Water=Physics at Rubberboots and Elf Shoes.

Rubber Duck Math Game at Fantastic Fun and Learning.

The After School Linky is cohosted by

Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Mama Smiles

Planet Smarty Pants

Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

The Educators' Spin on It

The Measured Mom

This Reading Mama

What Do We Do All Day

We would love to have you link up your School-Age Post (Ages 5 and up) about your learning week after school including Crafts, Activities, Playtime and Adventures that you are doing to enrich your children's lives after their day at school, home school, or on the weekend!

When linking up, please take a moment to comment on at least one post linked up before yours and grab our after school button to include a link on your post or site! By linking up, you're giving permission for us to share on our After School Pinterest Board and feature an image on our After School Party in the upcoming weeks!

Balloon Tennis

Spring and summer are lovely, except when the humidity is unbearable, the pollen count ridiculous, and the temperatures scorching. Some days you just need an indoor activity, preferably one where the kids can burn off ALL that energy.

We had one of those days. 

And this is what we did: balloon tennis.

It couldn't be simpler. All you need is a latex balloon and tape as well as a disposable paper plate and jumbo wooden craft stick for each player.

Simply tape the craft stick to the paper plate to turn it into a paddle.

Blow up the balloon and if you want, use painters tape to make a line on the floor. Kids stand with the paddle on either side, lobbying the balloon back and forth, trying to keep it from touching the ground.

This may well be the cheapest gross motor fun my two boys have had together!

This idea came from Keeping it Simple. 

Tie-Dye Fourth of July

Last year we made painted stripe and handprint flag tee shirts. Sadly, the boys have grown and the shirts are going to be too small and too short to wear this holiday. To make new Independence Day tees, we used dye.

Supplies

150 ml of water (or just shy of 5 oz.) for each bottle of dye

1/2 tbsp. powdered dye (bright red and royal blue)

sprinkle of salt

two small plastic bottles with a nozzle

white tee-shirt

Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (1/2 cup for sink full of water)

Rubber gloves - more than one pair for each person (the more the better)

Rubber bands (2 for each shirt)

Plastic sheeting

Plastic cling wrap

Step 1

First we filled our stainless steel kitchen sink half full of water and added 1/2 cup of Washing Soda. Since I make my own laundry detergent, I had this handy. Stir so that the soda dissolves. The water will still be murky.

Step 2

Add your pre-washed tee-shirts to the soda water mixture. Let soak for at least five minutes. We had to run a quick errand, so ours soaked for 30-40 minutes. From what I've been told, this step is essentially to lock in the dye so you have brighter, more vivid colors.

Step 3

Squeeze the shirt(s) to remove as much excess water as possible.

Step 4

Apply two rubber bands, twisting and re-looping them around the shirts many times so they're tight.  When finished, the shirt will be divided into thirds.

Step 5

Mix your dyes. I used Tulip brand dye, adding about 1/2 tbsp. of each dye to 150 ml of water and a sprinkle of table salt. This amount of dye will make two child size tee shirts. Once inside a small bottle with the cap on tightly, shake the bottles vigorously until all the contents are combined. NOTE: Begin wearing gloves at this step. If the dye splatters on your clothes, it will stain. 

Step 6

Lay plastic sheeting (we used trash bags) on the ground outdoors. We did this project in the garage to avoid the wind catching the corners of our bags. Place the damp, rubberbanded shirt on top of the plastic.

Step 7

Apply the colors so the middle third of the shirt is left white, dousing the top and bottom sections of shirt with the tie dye in the applicator bottles. Use the rubberbands as a guide of where to stop applying the dye. Don't worry if the dye seeps into the white area.

Step 8

Gently wring out excess dye from the two ends of the shirt and wrap in plastic wrap. Lay in the hot sun (if possible). Let the dye cure into the fabric for as long as 24 hours.

Step 9

The next day, remove the plastic wrap and while wearing plastic gloves, take off the rubberbands and rinse the shirt until the water runs clear.

Step 10

Launder the shirts in the washing machine. (Do this without any other clothes in case any dye leaches into the water during washing.)

Step 11

Once dry, wear proudly!

I saw this project on I love to create blog. 

After School Linky (6-9)

Welcome to the After School Linky Party!

Summer is here! Are you ready?

There are loads of ideas, crafts, and experiments shared each week to help you keep the kids busy, learning, and entertained. Miss a week and you miss a lot!

Here are a few of my favorite's from last week's party.

Soda Bottle Speed Boat at From ABCs to ACTs.

Balancing Robot (Free Printable) at Buggy and Buddy.

Not Exactly Mr. McGregor's Garden at Clark and Luci Learn.

Princess Unit at Every Star is Different.

Self-Esteem Mirror at Mosswood Connections.

Planning for Smart Summer at Planet Smarty Pants.

The After School Linky is cohosted by

Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Coffee Cups and Crayons

Mama Smiles

Planet Smarty Pants

Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

The Educators' Spin on It

The Measured Mom

This Reading Mama

What Do We Do All Day

We would love to have you link up your School-Age Post (Ages 5 and up) about your learning week after school including Crafts, Activities, Playtime and Adventures that you are doing to enrich your children's lives after their day at school, home school, or on the weekend!

When linking up, please take a moment to comment on at least one post linked up before yours and grab our after school button to include a link on your post or site! By linking up, you're giving permission for us to share on our After School Pinterest Board and feature an image on our After School Party in the upcoming weeks!