When the Thunder Roars, Let Curiosity Soar!

Lately, it seems like the skies just can’t make up their minds: sunshine one minute, downpours the next! While thunderstorms may send us indoors, they’re also the perfect opportunity to spark curiosity about the weather and fill the day with playful learning.

Whether you're watching raindrops race down the window or listening to rumbles from inside a blanket fort, here are a few ways to turn stormy days into mini adventures:

⚡ 1. DIY Rain Gauge

Help your child become a backyard meteorologist!

What You Need:

• Empty water bottle (2-liter works great)

• Scissors

• Ruler

• Permanent marker

• Pebbles or coins

• Water

How-To:

1. Cut the top off the bottle (about ⅓ down).

2. Flip the top upside down like a funnel and tape it inside the bottom part.

3. Add a few pebbles to the bottom for weight.

4. Use the ruler and marker to make measurement lines along the side.

5. Place outside during a storm and check rainfall after!

💡 Talk about it: What do you think causes rain? How much did we collect? How does today’s total compare to yesterday?

🎨 2. Stormy Skies in a Jar

A mesmerizing science-meets-art experiment!

What You Need:

• Mason jar or clear glass

• Shaving cream

• Food coloring

• Water

• Droppers or spoons

How-To:

1. Fill jar about ¾ with water.

2. Add a big "cloud" of shaving cream on top.

3. Drop food coloring onto the shaving cream and watch it "rain" through!

🌈 Fun twist: Use multiple colors and watch how they mix as they fall — a little storm in a jar!

🌀 3. Create a Weather Station Corner

Designate a window spot or small table with weather charts, drawing pads, binoculars, and craft supplies to track the day’s forecast.

Try This:

• Draw today’s weather with crayons or watercolor

• Start a "storm journal" and rate thunder on a “Boom Scale”

• Use construction paper to craft your own weather icons (sun, rain, clouds, lightning!)
  

🌪️ 4. Build a Blanket Fort Weather Bunker

Let imaginations run wild by building a "safe storm station" with blankets, flashlights, books, and plush meteorologists.

📚 Pro tip: Stock your fort with weather-themed books or make up your own storm stories together.

✂️ 5. Paper Plate Lightning Craft

Use cotton balls, yellow paper, and aluminum foil to make your own thunderclouds.

Bonus challenge: Use yarn or string to “hang” your clouds in the window for a full weather mobile!

Why It Matters 💛

At M&M Children’s Museum, we believe that play is powerful, even on stormy days. Every craft is a chance to explore, question, and imagine. Whether it’s a simple jar of colored rain or a full-blown weather station in the kitchen, these moments build the foundation for curious, confident learners.