Jello Cloud Parfaits
Here’s your opportunity to make a delicious and educational snack! Go outside and take a look at the clouds. Ask your children about the different types of clouds and what they mean. Use the following resources to help your mini lesson on the water cycle and types of clouds!
A cloud is a large collection of very tiny droplets of water or ice crystals. The droplets are so small and light that they can float in the air.
How are clouds formed?
Most clouds form as warm air rises in the atmosphere and cools down. All air contains some water vapor and warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air. As warm air cools the water vapor turns into tiny droplets of water or ice. As more and more air cools down, more droplets form and they eventually become a cloud.
The 4 main types of clouds:
Cumulus - Cumulus clouds are low to mid-level clouds. They are big, white, puffy, and beautiful clouds. They usually mean good weather unless they grow really tall and turn into cumulonimbus clouds.
Cumulonimbus - Cumulonimbus clouds are very tall clouds that span all the way from low level to high level. They can cause violent thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail, and even tornadoes.
Stratus - Stratus clouds are low level clouds that are flat and tend to cover much of the sky. They are gray in color and may produce light rain or drizzle.
Cirrus - Cirrus clouds are high level clouds that are thin and wispy. They appear during good weather.
Watch this video to learn more!
Now, let’s make a snack!
Materials:
clear jar or plastic cup
jello mix
ice
water
measuring cup
mixing bowl
whip cream or cool whip (I took the easy way out and used the kind that was already made, you can also make your cream from scratch if you're up for the task!)
glass baking pan
spoon
Directions: (Adult supervision required)
(Directions for the specific jello that you get will be in the side of the box)
Boil 2 cups of water
Mix the jello packet with the boiling water in a bowl and stir
Measure 1 and 1/2 cups of cold water and add ice cubes to it until it reaches 2 cups of water
Once most of the ice has melted, add the cold water to the jello mix in the bowl and stir
Remove any ice cubes
Pour the mixture from the bowl into the glass baking pan
Place in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours, or until solid
Slide the jello into small squares
Using a spoon, scoop the jello and layer it into your glass with whip cream in between
Ta da! You have made jello clouds in a jar!
