Clouds are visible accumulations of tiny water droplets or ice crystals in the Earth’s atmosphere. Clouds differ greatly in size, shape, and color. They can appear thin and wispy, or bulky and lumpy. A cloud is a mass of water drops or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Clouds form when water condenses in the sky. The condensation lets us see the water vapor. There are many different types of clouds. Technically, clouds are a massive collection of tiny ice crystals or water droplets — so tiny, they float way up in the air. But for your students, clouds are more than just dust and water. They’re mysterious, puffy objects that wander through the sky and constantly change into endless, wonderful shapes. But what makes clouds beautiful, and why do I see them as works of art? They’re beautiful because of their uniqueness; just as the snowflakes they produce, no two are the same, and each one inspires a different emotion in me. Nimbus is an ancient Latin word meaning “rain storm.” Rain or nimbus clouds tend to appear dark gray because their depth and/or density of large water droplets obscures sunlight. Depending on temperature, nimbus clouds may precipitate hail or snow instead of liquid rain. The sky is filled with thick clouds.” “I’m worried about those dark clouds.” “The factory created a huge cloud of smoke.” “We can’t breathe because of the smoke cloud.” Cotton wool, cotton candy, fluffy, cool, wet ….” A simple garden pond decoration that produces mist by forcing water through a very fine mesh and a large shallow bowl of water creates a cloud for children to feel. Clouds can appear white or grey in color, and there are four main types of clouds: cirrus, cumulus, stratus, and nimbus. You can use various descriptive words for clouds according to their shape, height, density and color. Some clouds are as thick as cotton and some are gray and uniform.