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Tornado Experiment Fun Weather Science Activities for Kids

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Check out this awesome DIY Tornado in a Bottle! Not only is this a fun educational tornado experiment for kids to enjoy, but it’s really cool to set up and make too. We love doing easy science experiments and it goes perfectly with a weather theme.

Anytime that we can combine learning and activities, it just makes the whole experience that much more engaging and memorable.

This is a great tornado experiment for preschoolers or older child who is curious about the way tornadoes work.

Tornado in a Bottle for Kids

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Tornado Experiment for Kids

Tornadoes are an interesting natural weather pattern that tends to draw in a lot of questions and curiosity. If you’re wondering how to make a tornado in a bottle with two bottles, you’re going to learn all about it here.

The kids and I had a blast creating this fun experiment and it didn’t feel like school at all. This makes for a great hands on learning activity.

Your kids are going to love this water bottle glitter tornado!

DIY Tornado in a Bottle

What you will need to make your Tornado Experiment, is in this picture below. However, I have it displayed in a recipe list form to print out towards the bottom of the page. Have Fun!

Supplies Needed:

  • Two large bottles, with at least one fitting cap, about 2 litters (we used plant milk bottles).
  • Transparent Duct tape
  • Green glitter, we used about 2 teaspoons
  • Sharp knife or scissors
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon dish soap… we chose to use this because we like how it slows down the vortex and takes this from a tornado at first to almost a calming bottle to watch. We love the way it slowly swirls the glitter within the bubbles!

Leaving the soap out will speed up the process and give you a larger tornado to watch-that you can then swirl and watch quickly over and over without waiting.

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

How to Make a Tornado in a Jar

Before starting, make sure the bottles are completely washed out.

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Use a knife or scissors to cut a hole in the center of one of the caps. We did them by basically twisting the knife to drill into the cap. You want the opening to be about a ½ inch.

Next, twist on the lid.

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Fill the second, capless, bottle about 3/4s full and then add the soap and glitter.

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Make certain to let the kids help with the process and steps.

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

They can easily do this from start to finish with parental supervision.

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Once those are done, it’s time to begin building.

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Place the capped bottle upside down on the water-filled bottle and then firmly hold together, perfectly aligned, while wrapping the duct tape around the opening/necks of the two bottles to connect them. You want to make sure you have a super tight connection so there won’t be any leaks.

We made this several days ago, experimented with it many times each day, and have had zero leaks using this exact method.

Weather Science Activities

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Once your bottles are connected and tape is completely secure, hold the neck of the bottles where they connect, quickly flip the bottles so the bottle with the water is on top and swirl the top of the bottle for about 10 seconds and then quickly and gently set down on a flat surface.

Within about 5 seconds the water should find its way into a vortex tornado and make its way down into the lower, previously empty bottle.

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Science Experiments for Kids

Once you make this Tornado Experiment, your kids will love these science experiments too.

PIN THIS DIY TORNADO SCIENCE EXPERIMENT TO SAVE

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Tornado Experiment for Preschoolers

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. It’s perfect for a weather science unit study or weather preschool theme.

Water Theme Activities Guide

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Science Activities for Preschoolers

Studies have shown that you will also love the following ideas if you like them. I have pulled them together for you right here!

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Rain Cloud in a Jar

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

How to make a tornado in a bottle with two bottles

This super cool tornado in a bottle activity is so exciting for preschoolers and kindergarten. Add a Tornado Experiment to your weather preschool theme or weather science unit study for fun and educational hands on learning.

Print
Tornado Experiment for Kids

How to Make a tornado experiment with bottles

Ingredients
  • Two large bottles with at least one fitting cap, about 2 litters (we used plant milk bottles).
  • Clear Duct tape
  • Green glitter we used about 2 teaspoons
  • Sharp knife or scissors
Instructions
  1. To make:
  2. Make sure the bottles are completely washed out.
  3. Use a knife or scissors to cut a hole in the center of one of the caps. We did they by basically twisting the knife to drill into the cap. You want the opening to be about a ½ inch.
  4. Twist on this lid.
  5. Fill the second, capless, bottle about 3/4s full and then add the soap and glitter.

  6. Place the capped bottle upside down on the water filled bottle and then firmly hold together, perfectly aligned, while wrapping the duct tape around the opening/necks of the two bottles to connect them. You want to make sure you have a super tight connection so there wont be any leaks. We made this days ago, experimented with it many times each day and have had zero leaks using this exact method.

Recipe Notes

Optional: 1 teaspoon dish soap… we chose to use this because we like how it slows down the vortex and takes this from a tornado at first to almost a calming bottle to watch.

We love the way it slowly swirls the glitter within the bubbles! Leaving the soap out will speed up the process and give you a larger tornado to watch-that you can then swirl and watch quickly over and over without waiting. Your call!

 

To use:

Once your bottles are connected and tape is completely secure, hold the neck of the bottles where they connect, quickly flip the bottles so the bottle with the water is on top and swirl the top of the bottle for about 10 seconds and then quickly and gently set down on a flat surface. Within about 5 seconds the water should find its way into a vortex tornado and make its way down into the lower, previously empty bottle.