Welcome to the first of a series of weather science related investigations. Rain gauges are easy to make and a simple first science activity for learning about the weather. My children love to check and record the rainfall each day, which has also helped my 2-year-old learn to recognise numbers.
How to make a rain gauge
You'll need
An empty jar or plastic bottle ( remove labels )
Permanent marker
Tape
Scissors
Ruler
Instructions
There are two ways to make the rain gauge, either by using an empty jar or a plastic bottle.
Jar Rain Gauge
Place the ruler on the side of the jar and mark in cm up the side.
Plastic Bottle Rain Gauge
Cut the top off the bottle and place it upside down inside the main body. Get an adult to help, as the edges might be sharp.
Place a ruler on the side of the bottle and mark in cm up the side.
Bury the bottle outside. It should be in an open area and away from any trees which might trap some of the rain. Leave the top sticking out. We didn't bury ours very well. You might want to put yours further into the ground.
How to record the weather
The important part of recording the weather is that it needs to be done frequently. You should record the amount of rain in the bottle/jar each day and empty the rain gauge each time.
Can you design a table to record the results? Or use my free rainfall recording sheet.
Don't forget to look at my other weather science activity ideas, including making a pinwheel, a storm in a jar and lots more.
Last Updated on February 10, 2025 by Emma Vanstone
The Mad House says
I made these with the boys a couple of years back and they loved them. We put the markings on a spoon as they could lift them out to check, which was easier for them
ScienceSparks says
That is a fantastic idea! Thank you. x
Phyllis at All Things Beautiful says
Oh, I want to make this!
ScienceSparks says
Let us know how you get on!
Michele says
My son would so want to do this! thank you for the idea and instructions!!
Liberty says
Neat! We did a bottle outdoors to see how much rain... it filled all the way up. Too much rain 🙂 I like this one better, I think we'll add this in soon. Thanks for sharing.
Visiting from Science Sunday!
maggy, red ted art says
*One Day* I will make a WHOLE weather station with the kids...
Thank you for liking to Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
ScienceSparks says
I am trying to make a whole weather station 🙂
Aimee says
Always finding something interesting on your site- love it! Thank you so much for linking up to The Sunday Showcase.
ScienceSparks says
I'm so glad you like it. x
Kim @ Learning Hypothesis says
Thanks for the idea. We are started nature study today and this will be a nice addition.
Elvis M. Ives says
This is amazing, I really wanna make this.thanks for sharing this.