MATERIALS:
• Orange crate or other ventilated box, such as a milk crate
• Maximum/minimum thermometer (available at hardware stores)
• Homemade weather instruments
• THE WEATHER WIZARD'S CLOUD BOOK
• Weather condition charts and pencil
• Plastic bag or envelope

STEP 1
Find a spot near your house (or on a deck or roof, if you are an apartment dweller) where you can set up your station, ideally where your rain gauge and wind vane can be set up with no obstructions. Hang your maximum/minimum thermometer on the inside of your crate, and position the crate so the thermometer will not be in direct sunlight at any time during the day. Attach the wind vane to the crate or position it nearby and find a nearby spot for the rain gauge. Keep the barometer indoors, where the children can observe changes throughout the day.

STEP 2
Make a weather-conditions chart and have multiple copies made at a copy shop. The chart should consist of eight entries, with seven columns for a week's worth of records. Enter the date and time on the first line, the present temperature on the second, followed by maximum/minimum temperatures, wind direction, precipitation, barometric pressure, visibility, amount of cloud cover, and cloud type. At the bottom of the page, leave a space for the forecast. On a separate piece of graph paper, set up a rainfall chart. Along the bottom of the page, write in the dates of the following week or two, and up the side, indicate in inches the level of precipitation.

STEP 3
Store the charts and (if it belongs to you) THE WEATHER WIZARD'S CLOUD BOOK in a ZipLock bag--remember, it may rain.

STEP 4
Decide with your kids when you are going to take your measurements. The best time is early in the day; but whatever you decide, try to be consistent. Regardless of when you collect data, be sure to read your rain gauge in the morning if it rains during the night.