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Cumulonimbus Clouds

As part of our weather unit we've been talking a great deal about clouds and thunderstorms. Which is perfect because the last couple of weeks have been filled with rain - in fact it's thunder and lighting outside as I type. Luckily, all my kids are more curious than scared of storms. There have, however,  been a few instances of thunder that have caused Little Lady to jump.

When I was packing up our Christmas decorations I noticed I had some icicles/tinsel I had never used and decided to leave them out since they reminded me of rain - I was already planning on doing a weather unit.  With a few other odds and ends from our craft supplies an idea for creating some storm/cumulonimbus clouds was formed.

 

Our Supplies: icicles/tinsel, gold pipe cleaners, styrofoam packing peanuts, cloud shapes cut from a cereal box, scissors, hole punch, tape, glue, grey acrylic paint, foam brush and ribbon/string. 


Step 1: punch hole in top of the cloud shape

Step 2: tape icicles to bottom of cloud shape

Step 3: bend pipe cleaner in to lighting bolt shape and tape it to the cloud


Step 4: drizzle glue all over cloud shape, including on top of the tape.


Step 5: cover cloud shape with styrofoam peanuts.

Step 6: flip over cloud cut out and repeat steps 4 & 5.


Step 7: cover both sides of cloud with grey acrylic paint. You will have to wait for first side to dry before painting the second side. 


my heart was about to burst when she put on her hat to paint - this girl is just too precious sometimes

Step 8: string ribbon through previously punched hole, tie ribbon in a knot, and hang to display 

our finished cumulonimbus clouds

v (the girl i  babysit) shaped her lighting bolt in to a heart. seriously, these
girls! their sweetness turns my heart in to one big puddle

The kids really enjoyed this project. Maca has been over three times since we've finished them and each time Big Buddy has excitedly showed her his cloud - specifically, the lighting bolt. If you do this craft with your children and are looking for some books to accompany it I'd highly recommend The Cloud Book by Tomie de Paola as a non-fiction choice. It does a great job in explaining clouds in terms young children can understand. A fiction story we've really enjoyed is Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco. It tells a sweet tale of a grandmother who helps her granddaughter overcome her fear of thunder. 

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  1. UnknownApril 18, 2013 at 9:43 PM

    What a cool project! Such a rich experience for those growing minds!!! ~Sarah of Sarah Hulbert Style
    (http://sarahhulbertstyle.com/2013/04/16/outfit-inspiration-a-classic-pairing/)

    ReplyDelete

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