The Water Cycle
Where does rain come from? Let's find out!
Hi! I'm Dewey, a little drop of water. 💧
I have been on a very long trip. I go up to the sky. I come back down. Then I do it again and again!
This trip is called the water cycle. A cycle is something that goes around and around, like a wheel.
Dewey's trip in 4 steps
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1. Evaporation
The sun warms the water in the sea. Some water turns into a gas we can't see. This gas is called water vapor. It floats up into the air.
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2. Condensation
High in the sky, the air is cold. The water vapor cools down and turns back into tiny drops of water. Lots of tiny drops together make a cloud!
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3. Precipitation
The tiny drops bump together and grow bigger. When they get too heavy, they fall. This can be rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
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4. Collection
The water lands and gathers in oceans, lakes, and rivers. Some soaks into the ground. Then the sun warms it, and the trip starts again!
The water cycle picture
Follow the arrows with your finger. Where does Dewey go next?
Fun water facts
- Most of Earth's water is in the oceans. Almost all of it! About 97 out of every 100 drops are in the ocean.
- Ocean water is salty. When it evaporates, the salt stays behind. So rain is not salty.
- Water can be a liquid (like rain), a solid (like ice), or a gas (like water vapor).
- Plants give off water vapor from their leaves too!
- The water cycle never stops. The water you drink today may once have been in a cloud, a river, or a snowflake.
Try it! A water cycle in a bag
For grown-ups: safe and simple. Please help with the tape and the window, and check that the bag is sealed tight. Use a window your child can reach without climbing. About 10 minutes to set up, then check over 1 to 3 sunny days.
You need
- A zip-top plastic bag
- About 1/4 cup of water (a few drops of blue food coloring is optional)
- Strong tape
- A marker and a sunny window
What to do
- Draw a sun and a cloud at the top of the bag with the marker. Draw waves at the bottom.
- Pour the water into the bag. Zip it shut tight.
- With a grown-up, tape the bag flat to a sunny window.
- Check it each day. Look closely!
What will you see?
The sun warms the water, and some evaporates. Tiny drops form on the inside of the bag near the top. That's condensation, just like a cloud! When drops get big, they slide down. That's precipitation. They land back in the water at the bottom. That's collection!
Tip: it works best on a warm, sunny day. When you're done, pour the water down the sink and recycle the bag if you can.
Water cycle quiz
Pick one answer for each question. You've got this!
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against:
- USGS: Interactive Water Cycle Diagram for Kids
- USGS: How Much Water Is There on Earth? (oceans hold about 96.5% of Earth's water)
- NASA Global Precipitation Measurement: The Water Cycle
Credits: Words, drawings, experiment and quiz by Bill for Jugami Science. No ads, no tracking, and nothing you tap is saved or sent anywhere.