Water Cycle Project

Water is one of the most important parts of our life. From drinking, cooking, cleaning to irrigation, photosynthesis etc, water is used for several important functions. Water is also extremely important for human life. It carries nutrients around the body, regulates our body temperature, removes toxins and also helps in digesting the food we eat. Learning about water and the water cycle is an essential part of a child’s education. Conducting a water cycle project helps children understand the different stages of the water cycle.

Conducting activities like science experiments for kids and science projects helps children see science concepts come to life. These demonstrations of their science lessons help them understand the lessons better. The water cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the continuous movement of water within the Earth and its atmosphere. Water moves through a continuous cycle in various forms on, above and below the surface of the Earth. 

In this article, explore:

• What is the water cycle?
• Water Cycle Project: How to build a 3d model of the water cycle?
  • Aim of the project
  • Things you’ll need
  • Instructions
• Benefits of learning about the water cycle

What is the Water Cycle?

The water cycle or the hydrologic cycle is the process by which water moves within the Earth and its atmosphere in a continuous loop. First, the water evaporates from the surface of the Earth. Then, the vapor in the atmosphere condenses to form clouds and falls back to the Earth in the form of precipitation. The rainwater, which becomes a part of the water bodies, evaporates and the cycle continues. Check out this water cycle worksheet to help your child learn about the stages in the water cycle.

The steps involved in the water cycle:

1. Evaporation: Evaporation is the process by which water turns from its liquid form into gas and rises to the atmosphere of the Earth. The water in the oceans, rivers, lakes and water bodies heat up from the Sun’s heat and rise into the atmosphere as vapor.
2. Condensation: As the water vapor rises and reaches the atmosphere, the cold air changes it back into liquid form. The fine water droplets hang on to dust particles in the air and form clouds. 
3. Precipitation: As millions of water droplets condense together, the clouds become heavier and larger. When they get too heavy, they fall to the ground as rain. If the air in the cloud is below freezing temperatures, ice crystals form, and it falls to the ground in the form of snow or hail.
4. Collection: Some of the rain that falls to the ground is absorbed into the Earth and becomes groundwater. The rest of it flows into and collects in oceans, lakes, rivers and other water bodies. From here, the water cycle starts again.

Water Cycle Project: How to Build a 3d Model of the Water Cycle?

Have you ever wondered where the rain comes from? And what causes rain? Rain is part of the water cycle, and understanding the water cycle helps children learn what causes rain. Rain falls from clouds and is made of tiny water droplets. These water droplets are the result of water evaporating from the surface of the Earth. In the atmosphere, the water vapor condenses to form clouds and then fall down on the Earth in the form of rain. 

Performing the water cycle in a bag experiment is a great way to demonstrate the water cycle to kids. Another great activity to help kids understand their lesson on the water cycle is a water cycle project. Build a 3d model of the water cycle with your children to help them understand the lesson better.

Aim of the Project

This water cycle project idea to build a 3 dimensional model of the water cycle helps children see the different steps of the water cycle. This demonstration helps them observe and visualize each step of the water cycle. 

Things You’ll Need

• Wooden board
• 2 sheets of cardboard
• 2 sheets of blue-colored chart paper
• Green, blue, white and brown felt paper
• Cotton balls
• Scissors
• Glue
• Blue, green, yellow and black coloring pens
• Sticker of the Sun

Instructions

1. Place the wooden board on a flat surface. Cut one sheet of cardboard to the same size as the wooden board and glue it to the surface. This is the base.
2. Next, cut the second sheet of cardboard to the same length as the wooden board. Then, cut the blue colored chart paper to the same size as the cardboard and glue it onto the cardboard. 
3. Now, glue cotton balls to the left side on the top half of the cardboard to form the clouds. 
4. On the top right-hand side, glue a sticker of the Sun. Using the yellow-colored pen, draw the Sun’s rays.
5. Cut the brown felt paper into triangles and glue it on the blue-colored cardboard to form mountains. Cut out smaller triangles using the white felt paper and glue it on the brown felt paper to make snow-covered mountains.
6. Cut a wavy strip of blue felt paper and glue it in between the mountains to show a river flowing down. 
7. Draw water droplets and snow coming down from the clouds to show rain.
8. Glue this cardboard to the wooden board at a 90 degree angle.
9. Cut a small circle from the blue felt paper and glue it at the bottom of the mountains (on the base) to show a lake. Ensure that the blue strip representing the river continues into the lake to represent the flow.
10. Cut out trees and bushes from the green and brown felt paper and glue it onto the base. 
11. Draw wavy lines on top of the lake rising up to the clouds to represent the water vapor rising into the atmosphere due to evaporation.
12. Your 3d model of the water cycle is ready.

Benefits of Learning about the Water Cycle 

Building a 3d model of the water cycle helps children visualize and create the 4 different steps involved in the water cycle. Here are some more benefits of learning about the water cycle:

• The water cycle helps children learn how animals, plants, humans and the Earth get water.
• Without the water cycle, the Earth would run out of clean water for drinking, cleaning, cooking, moving nutrients, sediments etc.
• It is necessary to regulate the weather on our planet.
• Infiltration or the process by which the rainwater gets absorbed into the ground filters and cleans the water.
• All the processes help create ecosystems and sustain life.

For more projects, activities, games and worksheets that make learning fun, check our kids learning section.

Frequently Asked Questions on Water Cycle Project