Bottled tornadoes are made with two 2-liter bottles. Fill one bottle two-thirds full of water, add a teaspoon of dish detergent and glitter, Monopoly houses and other optional household items for "debris." Turn the second bottle upside down, place the openings of the bottles together and duct-tape them securely to keep water from leaking out. Turn the bottle with water in it to the top, so water will spiral down through the openings into the empty bottle. A cyclone form will appear in the top bottle.
Fill a Mason jar three-quarters full of water. Add a teaspoon of liquid dish soap and a teaspoon of vinegar, as well as any "debris" you would like. Place the lid on the jar tightly and shake it to mix all the ingredients. Once it's mixed, swirl the jar in a circular motion and the liquid will form a small tornado.
If your child is interested in what you would do in the event of a real cyclone, another project would be to let him or her participate in the preparation of a home emergency kit. Emergency kits should include enough food and water for three days for your whole family, as well as bandages, a weather radio, a flashlight, whistle to signal for help, can opener, garbage bags, sanitation supplies such as hand sanitizer or wet wipes and a cell phone with a charge. Also practice what your family would do during a tornado.
During tornadoes, air pressure changes. The egg experiment is a good way to explain to preschool children about air pressure. You need a glass bottle with a long, narrow neck, a peeled boiled egg and matches. Place the bottle on a table, and drop four or five struck matches into the bottle. Quickly place the egg onto the bottle and watch it get sucked inside. To get the egg out, tilt the bottle and blow canned air into it. The egg will shoot out.