Make your own weather station
Monitor the weather with a pine cone
What you’ll need:
What you’ll need:
- A Tetrapak container with screw cap, e.g., a milk or juice carton (thoroughly cleaned and dried)
- A serrated knife
- A waterproof felt-tipped pen
- Glue (all-purpose glue or PVA)
- A wooden skewer (approx. 15 cm long)
From the forest:
- Pine cones
How to do it
1. Remove the base of the Tetrapak using a serrated knife. Ask an adult to help you.
1. Remove the base of the Tetrapak using a serrated knife. Ask an adult to help you.
2. Cut along the edges as shown.
2. Cut along the edges as shown.
3. Open the Tetrapak so there’s enough space for your weather station.
3. Open the Tetrapak so there’s enough space for your weather station.
4. Place the cap in the unopened corner of the carton.
4. Place the cap in the unopened corner of the carton.
5. Cut your wooden skewer down to about 15 cm and glue it to one of the lower sections of the opened pine cone. Allow the glue to dry completely.
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Tip: use another pine cone to support the skewer while the glue dries.
5. Cut your wooden skewer down to about 15 cm and glue it to one of the lower sections of the opened pine cone. Allow the glue to dry completely.
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Tip: use another pine cone to support the skewer while the glue dries.
6. Place the pine cone on the cap and draw a sun with a waterproof felt-tipped pen to mark the position of the skewer when the pine cone is open.
6. Place the pine cone on the cap and draw a sun with a waterproof felt-tipped pen to mark the position of the skewer when the pine cone is open.
7. Briefly place the cone under water and then put it back on the cap. Watch what happens to the cone: it takes around 30 to 60 minutes for it to close. With a waterproof felt-tipped pen, draw a raincloud to mark the position of the skewer when the pine cone is closed.
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Place the weather station outside so it is exposed to the rain. In wet weather the cone will close and in dry weather it will open. Take a look at your weather station every day, especially when the weather changes.
7. Briefly place the cone under water and then put it back on the cap. Watch what happens to the cone: it takes around 30 to 60 minutes for it to close. With a waterproof felt-tipped pen, draw a raincloud to mark the position of the skewer when the pine cone is closed.
Ìý
Place the weather station outside so it is exposed to the rain. In wet weather the cone will close and in dry weather it will open. Take a look at your weather station every day, especially when the weather changes.
