1. LEARN — Where does rain come from?

Water is always moving around our planet. The sun warms water from oceans, lakes and puddles. Some of that water travels up into the air as water vapor. High in the sky, it cools and forms tiny drops of water inside clouds.

When enough water collects and the drops become heavy enough, they fall. That's rain!

Ask your little thinker: Where do you think the rain goes after it reaches the ground?

2. OBSERVE 🔎 — Look outside while it's raining.

What do you notice? Can you find...

☐ a puddle
☐ water dripping from something
☐ wet leaves
☐ a dark cloud
☐ water flowing along the ground

Now listen. What does rain sound like? Does rain sound different when it lands on a window, roof, umbrella or puddle?

3. MEASURE 💧— How much rain fell?

Place a clear cup or container outside in an open area while it rains.
Before you begin, make a prediction: How much water do you think we'll collect?

Check it later. Use your finger or a ruler to see how high the water reached.
Was there...a little • some • a lot?
Was your prediction close?

4. THINK 🧠 — Imagine it rains all morning.
Then the sun comes out. Later, you notice the puddles are getting smaller.

Where did the water go?
Let your child come up with an idea before explaining.

The warmth from the sun can turn some liquid water into water vapor that travels back into the air. This is called evaporation.

5. TRY ☀️ — Make a Puddle Experiment

Put the same small amount of water into two shallow containers.
Place one somewhere warm or sunny and the other somewhere cooler.
Make a prediction:Which one will disappear faster?

Check them later. What happened?

LITTLE THINKERS CHALLENGE 🌧️🧠 — Look at the sky.

Ask your child: Do you think it will rain?

Why?
Encourage them to find evidence for their answer.

Maybe the clouds are dark.
Maybe the sky is clear.
Maybe they can hear thunder.
Maybe the wind has changed.

There doesn't have to be a perfect answer. The important part is: What did you notice that made you think that?

LITTLE QUESTION OF THE DAY
Why doesn't rain fall from every cloud?

Talk about it together. Then remind your little thinker:
Good thinkers don't always know the answer. Good thinkers ask questions.

TAKE IT FURTHER — After the rain stops, head outside for a Rain Detective Walk.

Look for clues that tell you it recently rained:
•wet sidewalks
• puddles
• dripping leaves
• muddy soil
• water on cars
• worms
• drops on flowers

Then ask: Could someone who didn't see the rain figure out that it rained? What evidence would you show them?

DID YOU KNOW?
🌧 Rain is part of Earth's water cycle. Water can travel from the ground → into the air → into clouds → back to the ground again. The same water keeps moving around our planet!