Cloud and wind science experiment

Sunny boy(3.6) is a curious child and asks a lot of why this and why that questions... I love these questions.. I try my best to answer them based on facts and correct information. Most of the times I know the answers and sometimes I need to find out .. I feel if a child is curious then a mom should try her best to explain and help him understand. When I tell him he absorbs the information and remembers it..So I want to encourage him!!! 

So this experiment is simple to do and basic. I wanted to do this experiment to satisfy his two why questions: How are clouds formed? Why and how the wind is formed?  

1:  Clouds are formed from the condensation of the water vapour/moisture. Due to cooler air ,the water vapour will condense and become clouds. I found this diagram helpful :

via

 2: The sun heats the land and thus the air above. The hot light air rises and cold air above sinks. Cold air then replaces the hot air. This air movement becomes wind. 

Things needed for this experiment are:

A vase or tall glass container

A plate or lid to cover the container 

Hot water

Ice cubes

Match sticks

I explained to him the "NO Touching " terms as it involves hot water and matchstick.

Start by explaining why you doing this experiment and what the result will be..All the science experiment I do at home have a "WOW"  end result, so little guy is always excited by the name of experiment.. sometimes when he tired of playing he would say Mamma I want a science experiment:) 

Collect all the material needed. I always ask Avaneesh to help collect the things needed. 

Heat up the water. Make it rolling hot. 

Pour it in the container. Instantly keep the lid on . Put some 4-5 ice cubes on the top. Wait and watch for a while. 

Put a lighted match stick inside and again quickly put the lid on. Now wait and watch as the cloud forms inside. Avaneesh was amazed by the matchstick and the cloud forming inside part. I asked him after a while if he would like to let go the cloud. He said yes so I opened the lid and we both enjoyed the cloud coming out..

we did this several times ( till the time I got tired of making hot water:))