Rain Cloud Experiment – Colorful Shaving Cream Science

Tips for Setting Up This Rain Cloud Experiment

Clear Container. We decided to explore what rain would look like in every color of the rainbow, so I set aside 6 small, clear containers. These are actually tiny flower vases! Of course, you could use one container big, small, or anything in between!

Colors. The most common color used in this experiment is blue! But my kiddo wanted to use all the colors of the rainbow! This created an added skill for him to reinforce, which was color matching! I placed a dot sticker next to each vase so he could match his dropper filled with food coloring. You can use either liquid watercolors or food coloring for this experiment!

Large Droppers. They are great for fine motor skills and this experiment is perfect for kids to practice using them! Our set worked well for it because each dropper has a different color.

• Shaving cream
• Large Droppers

• Wide Mouth Jar or Group of Small Vases
• Water
• Food coloring or Liquid Watercolor
• Shaving cream
• Large Droppers

Step 3

Squirt shaving cream on top to make the cloud.

Step 4

Now is the fun part for your little one! Using a dropper, squirt the color(s) on top of the shaving cream. When the “cloud” becomes too heavy, the “rain” will rain down, making the water change colors.

Step 1

To make the “rain,” dilute your food coloring or liquid watercolor in water. You can do one color or many like us!

Step 2

Fill your glass(es) with water.

Step 3

Squirt shaving cream on top to make the cloud.

Step 4

Now is the fun part for your little one! Using a dropper, squirt the color(s) on top of the shaving cream. When the “cloud” becomes too heavy, the “rain” will rain down, making the water change colors.

The Science Behind This Rain Cloud Experiment 

The rain cloud experiment is a simple yet effective way to demonstrate how rain forms in the atmosphere. When you add shaving cream to a glass of water, it represents a cloud. The liquid watercolor that you drop on top of the shaving cream simulates water droplets in the atmosphere. As you continue to add more color, the shaving cream gets saturated, just like a cloud does when it collects more and more water droplets. Eventually, the color begins to seep through the shaving cream and fall into the water below, mimicking how rain falls from clouds when they can no longer hold the water droplets. This experiment helps kids visualize how clouds gather moisture until they become heavy enough to release it as precipitation.

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