The Water Cycle: How Do You Explain It To Children?

What causes water to change from one state to another? We try to answer this question in a fun and educational way to explain the water cycle to children.

Water is an essential element on Earth : 75% of the land surface is covered by water, but only 3.5% of that amount is fresh water. Moreover, 69% of that fresh water consists of ice. The remaining 31% is liquid in rivers and underground. You can also see water circulating as gas in the atmosphere.

What is the water cycle?

Water is a molecule made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. It is tasteless, colorless and odorless. Water can also exist in three states: liquid (the water we drink), solid (ice cubes that keep us cool in the summer) or gas (water vapor that is released into the atmosphere).

Water moves through these three states in what we call the water cycle. The engine responsible for this movement is the sun, which evaporates liquid water from seas and lakes into the atmosphere. There, with the help of changes in gravity, wind and temperature, water will return to the Earth’s surface in the form of rain, snow or hail.

Humans and living beings also contribute to this cycle. We drink water and expel it later.

Explaining the water cycle to children

The hydrosphere is the collection of all the water on Earth. In addition to the liquid water in seas, oceans and rivers, glaciers are also an important part. These are the layers of ice that float in the oceans.

• The liquid water in seas, lakes or rivers evaporates due to the heat produced by the sun.
• Then the evaporated water particles rise and condense in the atmosphere.

• There the water vapor cools and condenses into small water droplets that form clouds.

Thanks to the wind, the clouds move to colder areas where they fall in the form of rain, snow or hail. This is how water returns to the earth. The water that has fallen through the mountains flows into rivers or becomes part of the groundwater.

Experiment to explain the water cycle to children

materials

• Two bowls, preferably glass. If not, you can use plastic bowls as long as they are transparent.
• Food coloring
• A teaspoon of salt
• Clear plastic film
• An Apple

Method

1. Heat the water slightly in a pan and then add the food coloring and salt. That way you help dissolve the salt in the water.
2. Once the salt has dissolved, pour the mixture into a larger transparent bowl. Place another, smaller bowl in the center.
3. Cover it with the plastic wrap and place an apple in the center to weigh it down. Then place the whole near the window where they are in the sun.

1. After a while you will see some water on the inside of the plastic film. It is in fact evaporated and condensed water.
2. Press the center of the film to concentrate the water droplets so that they fall into the smaller bowl.

Results of the water cycle experiment

When heated, the water evaporates. Then when it reaches the plastic, it cannot rise any higher, as it does when it reaches the atmosphere. Then it will cool down and start to form water droplets that you can see on the plastic wrap. This is how clouds form in nature.

If you test the water that has settled in the bowl, you will see that it is colorless and tasteless, like rainwater.

We hope you enjoy this simple experiment to explain the water cycle to children.