Great Activities for Your Child to Do During the Covid-19 Lockdown

During this Corona virus (CORONA-19) era, never has there been a time that so many families are living at home; there is bound to be many children who are getting bored, so I wanted to put together some activities aimed specifically at children, although some of these can be enjoyed by adults, too.

Also, some of these activities require parental or adult supervision as it involves machinery or chemicals which should be handled with care. The Video I got from the Site: sciencefocus.com along with the idea, - with thanks to them; further down, you can find a second way to make your home-made cloud using cans of aerolsole.

1. Bottling Clouds At Home

If your child loves clouds in the sky and would like to know how to actually make a cloud, then here is the materials you need.

I found the first instructions for how to make a cloud from an online magazine called “Science Focus” under the title, “How to create a bottled cloud.”

YOU NEED:

• 1. A bike valve - if you don’t have one, you can cut one from an old inner tube of a bicycle.

• 2. A bicycle pump (ideally a foot pump with a pressure gauge)

• 3. Surgical spirit or 90% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)

• 4. A Hand drill (needs a drill “bit” with a similar diameter to the valve)

• 5. A Hot glue gun

• 6. AN Empty plastic drinks bottle (minimum two-litre volume)

• 7. A pair of Safety goggles

SAFETY NOTES

• 1. Adults MUST carry out the cloud experiment. Children can watch.

• 2. Be careful with the drill and glue gun.

• 3. The bottle lid will undo with a lot of force. Hold it tightly when unscrewing and point away from your eyes.

• 4. Do not pressurise the bottle to more than 10psi (psi means Pounds per Square Inch).

• 5. Wear the safety goggles.

• 6. Do not consume chemicals. Wash your hands after use.

Video and Instructions

• 1. Carefully drill a hole in the lid of the plastic bottle that is just wide enough so that the bike valve will fit through (this can only be done by adults)

• 2. Push the valve through the hole from the inside. It should be a tight fit.

• 3. Fix the valve in place with glue-gun to make a good seal.

• 4. Pour a little rubbing alcohol/surgical spirit into the bottle. You can take this experiment outside, now.

• 5. Swirl the alcohol to coat the sides.

• 6. Tightly screw on the lid.

• 7. Attach the bike pump to the valve and put on your safety goggles.

• 8. Now you can start pumping using your pump. Make sure the bottle is not leaking air – if it is, add more glue. Pump to about 10psi. Do not over-inflate.

• 9. Holding the bottle firmly, unscrew the lid, which may come off with a bang.

• AND POOF! A white cloud instantly appears!

So How are Clouds made by God, or what's the Idea behind Clouds?

As the Sun heats the ground, it warms the air above it, causing the air to expand and rise. As the air rises, when the moist air reaches an altitude of 600 to 900 metres, the water vapour in the air starts to cool and condense into tiny droplets as the temperature gets colder. The droplets start forming together into groups of thousands to form large clouds - with varying sizes but the same colour we know as white; the colour is formed because these droplets also scatter all the entire rainbow frequencies of light to give them that white colour.

In our experiment, we coated the inside of a bottle with alcohol. We used the alcohol because it evaporates faster than water, making it easier to get impressive results. When the bottle is sealed, it is quickly saturated with invisible alcohol vapour. Pumping air into the bottle increases both pressure and temperature. When the lid is opened, there is a sudden drop in pressure and temperature, which triggers airborne alcohol and water molecules to come together into liquid droplets – almost as if it had ascended by over 300m in a fraction of a second.

Wow, isn't it great to get your mind and brain thinking deeply.

Just as Albert Einstein said,

“Education is not the learning of facts.It's rather the training of the mind to think.”

So thinking is what makes education not memorizing facts and figures.

There is another way to make a cloud using a can of aerosol. Here’s what you need:

1. U.S. Gallon (U.S.= 3.8 L or The British imperial gallon is 4.54609 litres ) glass jar with a lid.

2. An aerosol can (hairspray or air freshener).

3. A flashlight or a lamp.

4. Some water.

5. A piece of dark-colored paper and a flashlight

Instructions:

1. First of all, pour boiling water into a glass jar. Put enough water in the jar to cover the bottom, or about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Swirl the water around so that the jar heats up. This will also prevent any condensation from forming in the jar.

2. BE CAREFUL: The jar will be very hot. Be sure to use oven mitts or a towel to hold the jar.

3. Place ice in the jar lid. Turn the jar lid upside down so that it’s a little bowl. Place two ice cubes in the lid. Lay the lid on top of the jar. You may now see some condensation in the jar.

4. Spray some aerosol into the jar. Use an aerosol product like hairspray or air freshener to spray into the jar. Lift the iced lid up and quickly spray a small amount into the jar. Replace the lid to trap the aerosol in the jar.

5. Place a dark-colored piece of paper behind the jar. Use a dark piece of paper to create contrast. This way, you will be able to see the cloud that has formed in the jar.

6. You can also use a flashlight to shine into the jar to help you see the cloud.

7.Open the lid and touch the cloud. When you lift the lid off the jar, the cloud should begin to fly out. You can let it pass through your fingers.

But How did You Create a Cloud?

You created hot, moist air in the jar when you poured in the boiling water. The ice on the lid works to cool the air as it rises. This water vapor will turn back into a liquid when it cools, but it needs a surface to condense on. When you spray the aerosol into the jar, you’ve given the water vapor a surface. The molecules stick to the aerosol and condense into cloud droplets.

The clouds swirl around inside the jar because the air inside is swirling around. The warm air is rising while the cool air is sinking. You can see the movement of air as the clouds swirl.

In the coming hours and days, I will be adding some more great ideas to keep the boredom at bay, during this LOCKDOWN so please check back again in a day or two.

Update: If you enjoy playing card games, then Click on the following Link,