How to Make a Snowstorm in a Jar Experiment

Winter Science Activities for Kids

I love a fun science experiment on a cold day. Apart from creating your own snow storm, here are my favorite kids science experiments to try this winter season.

1. Penguin Math Puzzles
2. How to Grow Crystal Snowflakes
3. How to Make a Frozen Bubble
4. Snow Volcano

For more easy science activities, read 24 of the Coolest Winter Science Experiments and Activities

Materials Needed

1. Clear Jar, like a Mason jar
2. Baby oil
3. Water
4. 1 tablespoon of White Paint
5. Alka Seltzer tablet

Watch the Snowstorm in Action

How to create the Snowstorm in a Jar Experiment

1. Fill ¾ of the clear jar with baby oil

I like to add the oil first, because it coats the entire inside of the jar in a clear liquid. When you add the water first, I find that the white water coats the inside of the jar and makes the side of the glass foggy to look through. Essentially making it harder to see the reaction taking place. 

You can also use vegetable oil instead if you prefer. The experiment will still work, but it will be yellow instead of clear.

If you like, you can also add drops of blue food coloring to make the oil the color of the sky. Just be sure to add an oil based color so that it mixes with the oil and not the water.

2. Mix ¼ jar of water and a small squirt of white paint in a small bowl.

You only need a small amount of water for this activity, depending on the size of your container. If you use too much, then you won’t be able to clearly see the upward direction the bubbles of carbon dioxide take.

3. Pour the white water into the jar.

Alternatively, you can use milk instead of water. Although the reaction still works, it’s not as fast or effective as using water. I personally would recommend going through the extra effort of making white colored water for this reaction instead.

You can also choose to make colored water with food coloring. Turn your water any color you like and this STEM activity becomes an easy lava lamp for kids to make.

4. Break up an alka-seltzer tablet into small pieces and then drop them into the jar.

The bubbles will form immediately and can just sit and enjoy watching your snowstorm. You’ll love watching as a lot of bubbles go up and down, looking like snow flurries.

The Science Behind the Snowstorm

There are a number of things your kids will learn from this perfect snow day science experiment. Not only do they get to try a fun project, but they’ll learn a surprising amount with the help of this simple science activity.

1. Oil and water don’t mix.

You can demonstrate this by shaking the jar and watching as the water and oil separates from each other.

2. Water is more dense than oil, that is why it will always stay below the oil layer.

You can demonstrate this by slowly rotating the jar in different directions to show how no matter which way you move it, the cooking oil is always on the top.

3. Alka-seltzer contains sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. When these two ingredients interact they create carbon dioxide bubbles.

However, these two ingredients are stuck in their solid form while they are in the tablet and can’t interact with each other. Dropping the tablets into the water allows the molecules to move around and for the reaction to take place.

When the carbon dioxide gas forms, they take some of the white paint and water molecules from the bottom of the jar with them. You can see them floating up in this fun experiment.

 As the carbon dioxide is released out the top of the jar the water and paint stay behind floating on the top. When enough of the carbon dioxide is released the water and paint mixture once again becomes more dense than the oil, and will fall back down to the bottom of your jar.

Science activities for kids are filled with incidental learning. Although toddlers and preschoolers may not understand all of the points above, they will still get excited by seeing the reaction of this fun snowstorm, and in turn get excited about learning.

If you are looking for more weather science for kids, then check out this Water Cycle STEM Experiment for Kids. It’s a working indoor water cycle that turns saltwater into freshwater. Your kids will actually be able to taste the difference in the water.