Weather science fair projects: rain, wind, sun and clouds

What to expect

Weather is a good science fair topic because it's happening right outside, and you can measure it with things from the kitchen. A jar and a ruler make a rain gauge. Four paper cups on two straws make a wind spinner whose turns you can count. A thermometer in the sun tells you which colour of paper warms up most. Some of these work indoors on any day, like the cloud in a jar and the drops on a cold cup; the others need the right weather, so check the forecast first. A rain gauge needs rain, and a wind spinner needs a breeze.

Weather projects need patience and a logbook. The rain gauge runs for a week, and the wind spinner is counted in three places around your home on three different days. A line in the logbook for each day, with the date and what the sky was doing, is the kind of record a judge remembers. Never look straight at the sun, and stay inside in a storm: read the jars once the thunder and lightning have stopped. The cloud in a jar uses hot water, so a grown-up pours it.

Counted from the projects on this page: 9 about growing and weather; 2 using kitchen things, 7 using the outdoors and some seeds. 7 are free with what most houses have, and the rest cost about $3. Testing takes from 1 to 7 days. 2 have a step a grown-up does, marked on the page.