How to make clouds

We did this experiment whilst studying the water cycle.

You will need:

A medium sized clear glass bowl (Pyrex type)
A flat plate that will cover the bowl well
A good quantity of ice cubes
1/2 litre boiling water

Method:

Fill the plate with as many ice cubes as possible. Pour the boiling water into the bowl and cover the bowl with the plate full of ice cubes. Watch how "clouds"  form under the plate due to the colder temperatures.

Note: This experiment is supposed to be done in a darkened room, using a torch to see the clouds. I needed light to take the photograph. I'm sure you get the basic idea, though.

To finalize the water cycle study, I ask the children if they understood that whatever water they use is, in effect, re-cycled over and over again. Yeeeeesssss, they answer. So, that last glass of water that you have just drunk, could well have been drunk by a dinosaur some six thousand years ago. Stumped! Ahhh, that is the best bit of the whole project!