outside our drinks

stuff to do this winter

make a rain collector

Rainy days can put a stop to a lot of fun stuff but there’s definitely one activity they’re the best for and that’s learning about rainfall. Follow the steps below to come up with a clever system for working out how much water falls from the sky. Just don’t get too into the numbers. We wouldn’t want anyone calling you an anorak.

InnocentDrinks, rain falling into a bowl

you’ll need:
a 2L bottle
scissors
a ruler
some stones
some masking tape
a pen

step 1

Cut the top off the bottle (don’t throw it away, we’ll use it later). This one’s a job for an adult.

InnocentDrinks, person cutting a plastic bottle

step 2

Put some stones in the bottom of the bottle to stop it falling over. Add water until the waterline sits above the rocks.

step 3

Place a strip of masking tape up the side of the bottle.

step 4

Using a ruler and a pen, mark out the millimetres on the tape. Make sure the waterline sits at zero.

step 5

Turn the top of the bottle upside down and place it in the opening you cut at the start. This will act as a funnel.

step 6

Take your collector outside, place it somewhere sheltered from the wind and use it to track how much water falls from the sky (rain dances optional).

outside our drinks

stuff to do this winter

We had a load of snow-based activities written here, but you’ve got as much chance of snow in winter as sun in summer, so enjoy our non-snow-based activities below.

see all activities