Rain Facts for Kids – Free Printables

Do you like watching the rain? Do you like listening to the pitter-patter? Do you love splashing in the puddles in your rain boots? Have you ever stopped to wonder why it rains? In this blog post, you will learn why it rains, how it rains, and about all the different types of rain. You can download a FREE rain facts for kids packet at the bottom of the post too!

What is Rain?

Did you know that rain is a type of precipitation? That’s right! Rain is the most common form of precipitation and usually falls from dark-colored clouds. A rain storm can bring little rain or it can bring heavy rain. A heavy rain can lead to flash floods, so be careful the next time you are outside during rainstorm.

All rain starts as snowflakes high above us in Earth’s atmosphere (called cirrus clouds). Then when these tiny ice crystals melt into liquid water, they fall as raindrops to the ground below them. This whole process takes about two weeks for one drop to reach Earth from Cirrus cloud levels!

The Different Types of Rain

Rain is rain, right? Wrong! It turns out that rain comes in different rain forms. The most common type of rain is called conventional rain. Other types of rain include orographic rain and thunderstorm rain. Any guesses as to when thunderstorm rain occurs? Yup, that’s right, during a thunderstorm.

You might think rain is just plain old water falling out of the sky, but it is so much more than that! Freezing rain can occur when the air temperature is below zero and can lead to ice on the roadways. Acid rain is common is some areas of the world. Acid rain is tiny water droplets mixed with high levels of acid, such as sulfuric acid or nitrogen oxides. Acid rain can be dangerous to the environment due to it’s low pH.

Rain Facts for Kids – The Water Cycle

Rain is an important part of the water cycle. The water cycle is a continuous process that recycles water back into the Earth’s atmosphere. This means that rain (or any form of precipitation) can be used over and over again! At the beginning of the cycle, rain falls from the sky, hits the surface of the earth, seeps into the soil, flows through rivers and lakes, evaporates back up into the atmosphere, forms into tiny droplets of water, and then falls back to Earth as rain. Talk about a never-ending cycle!

Rain Facts for Kids – The History of Rainstorms

The average annual rainfall in the United States is 30.28 inches. The area of Smethport saw the highest rainfall ever recorded in the United States in 1942. The area received over 30.7 inches of rain in just four and a half hours!

The highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in the World was approximately 1,605 inches of rain. It took two years for these high levels of rainfall to accumulate in India. Could you imagine waking up to a rainy day everyday for two years?

Rain Facts for Kids About Rainbows

Did you know that rainbows are caused by rain? When sunlight shines on rain droplets in the air, it separates into different colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and indigo. These colors combine to make up rainbows!

More Fun Facts About Rain

Hurricanes often bring heavy rains and water. They also create strong winds, which can make it difficult for the wetness to dry up. The wet weather can last for days or weeks sometimes with enough water droplets to reach the top of a three story building!

Rain Facts for Kids

We’ve covered everything about rain from a light rain to a flood. No matter where in the world you live, you’ve probably seen rain at least once in your life. You could live on the driest continent or in the wettest place, but rain is everywhere and all around us. Where have you seen rain? Did you know where it came from? Well, now you do! So, what are you waiting for, get out there and go splash in those puddles!

WANT MORE FUN FACTS FOR KIDS?

Check 100 fun facts for kids here and browse all the other topics at the bottom of the post.