Water Cycle for Kids

In order to provide an explanation of water cycle, it can be divided into four main stages. The four stages of this cycle consist of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection. Let us understand each stage one by one. You can always refer to the diagram on the right for better understanding.

Water Cycle Stages

Stage #1 Evaporation: In this stage, the Sun starts to evaporate the water in the water bodies, like oceans, seas, lakes, ponds and rivers. This water is in the liquid stage in the water bodies, but change in weather and heating due to Sun converts it into gaseous form. Slowly, these vapors of water start rising up, to the sky. Transpiration, which is water escaping from plants due to Sun's heat, also contributes to some extent, to the process of evaporation.

Stage #2 Condensation: It is in this stage that cloud formation occurs. The water in the form of the vapors rising, cools down at a certain height and condenses to form clouds.

Stage #3 Precipitation: The water keeps condensing to form clouds, but when there is too much accumulation or collection of water in these clouds, the clouds become heavy. This means the air can no longer hold this much amount of water, and the water starts to fall back, mostly in the form of rain. Sometimes this collected water, comes down to the Earth's surface in the form of snow, hail or partially melted snow which is called sleet. Rarely, acid rain can be observed because of environmental pollution.

Stage #4 Collection: This water falling down in the form of rain or snow, gets collected in different water bodies. When it falls on the ground, it gets stored under the ground, and is called 'ground water'. Then, again evaporation starts due to the Sun's heat and the cycle recurs.

Project Ideas
Above was the theory of water cycle for you to understand, but one grasps concepts better if they are performed and observed practically. Here are some project ideas for water cycle. Make sure you have an adult to help you with these projects.

Project #1: This is a simple project to perform. Take a plate and fix a candle in the middle of the plate. Light the candle (ask an adult to help you with it). Then put a clear glass on the candle, which should be big enough to cover up the whole candle. After some time the candle will go off, and you will observe tiny drops of water inside the glass! This happens due to the combining of hydrogen molecules with the oxygen molecules present in the air.

Project #2: This is a very interesting project for kids to learn about water cycle. Take a big glass bowl and fill ¼ of the bowl with water. Place a mug in the center of the bowl, be careful not to splash any water, and make sure the level of water is less than the height of mug. Now, cover the bowl with plastic cling film, and secure the film by using a rubber band or sticky tape. Keep the bowl under the Sun. Soon the water in the bowl will start to evaporate and get condensed on the surface of the cling film. Carefully move the bowl to a shady area without splashing any water, and watch the condensed drops fall. After a few hours remove the plastic film, and look inside the cup to see the collected water!

Facts
Here, is some more interesting information on water cycle.

• This cycle is a reversible process, which means you can change water to vapors, and condense these vapors to form water.
• The dew drops seen on the leaves is actually moisture in the air condensed in the air due to low temperature during night!
• A rainbow is a short-term phenomenon, which occurs when sunlight reflects the rain drops in the air and scatters the colors!

Well, this was all about the stages of the water cycle, and some projects to practically observe this interesting cycle. So, go on and perform the above projects and watch the cycle for yourself!