The water cycle for kids
See it on Peabody
- Planet Earth: open the Rain & snow view (under Weather and climate) to see where rain falls each month, from the Atacama Desert to the monsoon in India.
- Be the Weather Reporter: five questions on those rain and temperature maps, three boxes each, no typing.
- Switch on the Clouds overlay in Planet Earth to see clouds from one real day, seen from space.
Five facts about the water cycle
| Fact | What to know |
|---|---|
| Evaporation | The Sun's heat turns liquid water from oceans, lakes and puddles into water vapor, an invisible gas that rises into the air. |
| Condensation | High in the sky the air is cold. Water vapor cools and turns back into tiny drops, and clouds are made of those drops (or bits of ice). |
| Precipitation | When the drops in a cloud join and grow too heavy to float, they fall as rain, snow, sleet or hail. |
| Collection | Falling water runs into streams, rivers, lakes and the sea, or soaks into the ground. Then the Sun warms it and the cycle starts again. |
| Plants join in | Plants take water up through their roots and let water vapor out through their leaves, so they add to the water in the air. The water on Earth is not used up; it keeps moving round. |
Try it at home
- Water cycle in a bag. Tape a zip bag with a little water in it to a sunny window. Watch drops form on the plastic and run back down.
- Cloud in a jar. A grown-up pours a little hot water into a jar, then lay ice on the lid. Mist swirls inside as warm air meets the cold lid.
- Puddle watch. Mark the edge of a puddle with chalk, then check it every hour. Where is the water going?
Questions parents ask
What are the four steps of the water cycle?
Evaporation (water rises as vapor), condensation (vapor turns into cloud drops), precipitation (rain, snow, sleet or hail falls) and collection (water gathers in rivers, lakes, the sea and the ground).
Does the water cycle ever stop?
No. It runs all the time, wherever there is water and sunlight. The same water goes round again and again.
Where does the water in clouds come from?
Mostly from the oceans, where the Sun evaporates the most water, and also from lakes, rivers, wet ground and the leaves of plants.
What age is this for?
The four step names suit about ages 7 to 10. A younger child can follow the story of a drop of water: up, cloud, rain, river, sea. The home experiments need a grown-up for the hot water.
Is it free?
Yes. Peabody is free through the end of 2026, with no ads and no sign-up to start. Nothing on these pages asks for a child's name.
Teacher? Share this page to Google Classroom. Children open it with no sign-up.
Checked against how Peabody works on 29 October 2026. Written with help from AI, from Peabody's own code and library. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: if you're worried about your child's learning, talk to their teacher. How Peabody's pages are made.